


Asset Spring

by RachiMarie



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Canon Typical Violence, F/M, Hydra (Marvel), Original Bucky’s daughter character, Steve and Nat are basically her parents cause Bucky is mia, dad bucky, idk how to tag, slightly AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:20:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 71,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26132563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RachiMarie/pseuds/RachiMarie
Summary: Taken by Hydra at age 5 Rebecca James Barnes is the daughter of the Winter soldier know as Atkiv Vesna, or Asset Spring. Found by the Avengers during the raid of the Hydra facility in Sokovia, how will Becca adjust to life in the real world with the avengers. This will follow Rebecca’s journey through the events of the MCU from Age of Ultron and on including the bits in between. Will Update once a week.This character was created on Tiktok during quarantine boredom and I fell in love with creating her story, follow me on there @rachimarie.I do not own these characters (Other than Rebecca) they are owned by Marvel Studios and Disney.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Natasha Romanov, James "Bucky" Barnes/Original Female Character(s), Pietro Maximoff/Original Female Character
Comments: 2
Kudos: 26





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to finally post this since I was so excited for it I didn’t want to wait any longer. This work was Beta’d by my best friend who put up with me asking questions and her opinions and bouncing ideas off of her and she is honestly an angel for it of course if you are here from Tiktok thank you for caring and being interested in this. If you don’t follow me on Tiktok, welcome I created this character over there during quarantine and wanted to create her story that was running around in my head for everyone to experience. As always leave a like and a comment, and let me know what you think.

I was shaking and there was a commotion coming from down the hall, I didn’t know where I was. I tried to get up but I was small, too small. I found myself in a short hallway suddenly and I saw a woman fly across the room at the end, her hair was a lighter brown like mine and she screamed as a man with deep brown hair around his shoulders came into view.

“MOMMY!” I felt myself shout, my voice was wrong and when I looked to my side my eye level was only to the doorknob of the room I had just exited. There was a loud crack and the sound of the woman screaming quieted. The long haired man came down the hall dressed head to toe in black, one arm a silver metal a red star painted into the shoulder. His face was fully covered in a black mask and as he neared I tried to crawl away but my back met the wall. The man approached and grabbed a large knife out of his thigh holster and I felt myself scream before it was cut off by the man picking me up by the throat. I struggled and kicked out my small foot somehow reaching the mans covered face knocking the mask away. I was met with the familiar face of my father, his blue eyes crazed as he looked at me still holding me by the throat bringing the knife up and loosening his grip.

“DAD NO!” I shouted and jolted up on my small bed, chest heaving as I tried to catch my breath and contain my shaking.

“She’s dreaming about them again,” I heard the feminine accented voice state.

I looked up to be met by the gaze of both Maximoff twins through the thick glass wall at the front of my cell. I snarled at the telepath launching myself from the bed before falling back onto the edge still too shaken from the dream.

“I know,” her brother answered, never taking his eyes off of mine.

“She never pictures the face of her mother, I wonder if she even remembers it,” the girl stated as if it was something she was just merely curious about, but I knew exactly what she was doing and unfortunately it was working.

“Fuck Off!” I screamed jumping up before turning around and ripping the small metal bed frame from where it was bolted to the floor and launching it at the window, it did nothing other than bounce off and make a large crashing noise, and probably lose me my meals for today at the very least, but it did momentarily make me feel better.

“VESNA CALM DOWN NOW!” Barked one of the guards before opening the door on the opposite side of the cell from where the twins stood, entering with a large cattle prod in hand. I put my hands up immediately hoping he wouldn’t use it.

“I’m done I swear, get the freak show away from me please she’s fucking with my head,” I growled at him as 2 more soldiers entered, they both grabbed one wrist pulling them down roughly behind my back before putting on the reinforced cuffs and shoving me toward the door, “Can someone grab my clothes so that way I can shower while you fix it and you won’t have to get me again.”

One of the guards rolled their eyes before grabbing the small pile of worn down clothes from the small table bolted in the corner. Once outside of the cell they handed me off to someone else before going back to clean up my mess. He walked me toward the small shower rooms in the corner of the large open room, that they used for their research, human experimentation, and prison block security.

“You know you wouldn’t have to be locked in there if you would just behave,” the guard told me gruffly as he opened the door to the small wash area and shoved me in.

“I would rather you kill me,” I snarled back yanking at the restraints as he went to unlock them.

“Too bad you’re useful Vesna, or else they might, as it is once you’re ready they’ll have to wipe you, just like they did to your daddy,” he taunted as he popped the lock on both cuffs and shoved me into the room before closing and locking the door from the outside before I could turn and swing at him. I rake my fingers against my scalp, wincing at the sting of my nails. I had been here months, it had to be approaching a year now, since my father escaped, after failing to complete his mission of killing his best friend from childhood. I wished he had come back for me, before they shipped me off to whatever other fucked up torture facility they had me in. I had been with them since I was 5, I had to be 17 or maybe I was 18 now, when my mother had registered me for school the people who had my dad had realized they had messed up, how she found out who my father was in the first place I didn’t really know but they sent him for me, his mission that time was simple kill the woman, take the girl, I still had fucked up twisted nightmares about it like the one that woke me today. Turning off the barely warm water and drying myself off before pulling on the old worn clothes they gave me and banging on the locked door three times.

The guard returned me to my cell without an issue and as I sat on the repaired bed with a book in my hand I heard the telltale sound of Pietro approaching.

“Becca,” he called from the other side of the barrier, I ignored him in favor of staring at the page I had left off on the day before, “Rebecca don’t ignore me, please  _ tsvetok _ .”

“I hate it when you call me that, just because they call me spring doesn’t mean you can give me other nicknames based around that,” I half heartedly snapped tossing the book onto the pillow before standing and walking over to the glass partition and sitting unceremoniously on the floor. He sat down on the other side resting his forehead against the glass.

“Why not, you are Vesna, you warm the Winter, I am sorry about earlier  _ tsvetok _ , I should have stopped her prodding before it went that far,” he told me softly, quietly.

“That isn’t necessarily a good thing, I don’t mind it, it’s not like this is anything new, and it’s not like you did it she isn’t your responsibility and you don’t need to protect me,” I told him fiddling with my shoelace.

“She is my sister, of course she is my responsibility, I also know that I don’t need to protect you but I want to help you. Wanda is just jealous that you like me and not her,” he told me with a grin that looked far too smug.

“I never said I like you,” I answer with a straight face, his grin faltered for only a moment.

“Maybe you haven’t said it but Wanda can see your mind, and I don’t have to see it to tell,” he teased grinning again before it dropped off his face, “I need to go I will talk with you tonight,” he pressed one hand to the partition and I placed mine over his with a small smile, then he was gone. I was left alone again in my cell, left to waste the day away.

I jolted awake to the sound of alarms blaring in my cell and commotion outside I stood and looked out the glass partition to see if I could find any clue as to what was going on. From the sound of it the building was under attack, I believe I heard someone say avengers and I was ready to find a way out of this cell on my own when Pietro appeared in front of the partition.

“Get dressed  _ tsvetok _ we are under attack, I will unlock your cell,” he told me hurriedly before flashing away, I stripped off the pajama bottoms I was wearing and pulled on the old worn jeans forgoing changing my top and pulling my gray zip hoodie over it. I heard the lock and hobbled to it while shoving my feet in the old sneakers. I pulled open the door and stepped through running directly into Pietro who caught me before I could topple over.

“ _ Tsvetok _ I must go help, find somewhere you can be safe, stay out of sight of Strucker,” he murmured before disappearing again. I got on my way, wandering through the base that I knew well now hoping I could remember. I heard footsteps in the stairway and ducked into an alcove off to the side. The sound of a body flying and hitting the ground followed by more footsteps followed me in.

“Aaron Strucker HYDRA’s number one thug,” I heard a deep almost familiar voice say. I know I have never heard this voice before, I couldn’t have, but it was so familiar in a faraway sort of way, like an old memory I couldn’t reach.

“Technically I’m a thug for SHEILD,” the accented voice responded and I clenched my jaw at the all to familiar voice. I wrapped my hand around the corner of the stone wall and felt the old stone begin to crumble under my grasp.

“Well then technically you’re unemployed,” the other voice snapped back, “where’s Loki’s scepter?” The voice asked and I gained the courage to peak around the corner spotting a man I had seen several times in photographs at the museum my mom would take me to to tell me about my dad. The man who was the target of my fathers last mission. It took everything in me not to jump from my hiding place right then, I could be free, my dad might be with him, I could feel the brittle stone of the wall crumbling even more beneath my hand.

“Don’t worry, I know when I’m beat,” Strucker told the man, “you’ll mention how I cooperated I hope.”

“I’ll put it right under illegal human experimentation,” the man snapped back and I smiled thinking of how Strucker would pay for the things he did to me, “how many are there?” he asked and I saw Wanda come from around a corner and blast him down the steps before backing out a doorway. She had to be loving this, I’m sure she’s been causing chaos all around.

“We have a second enhanced female, do not engage,” the blond man said into what must be a com device when he reached the top of the stairs again before turning back to Strucker.

“You have to be faster tha-“ Strucker started before the man kicked up his dropped shield, hitting the German in the face knocking him unconscious.

“I’ve got Strucker,” he said into his coms and I took a deep breath before stepping out of my hiding spot.

“Three,” I said making the man jump turning to me ready to attack, I put my hands up as if surrendering, “there are three enhanced, but I didn’t want to be here,” I took in a shaky breath before continuing, “my name is Rebecca James Barnes,” I started seeing the immediate disbelief in his eyes, “My father is James Barnes, The Winter Soldier, you have to get me out of here, please,” I begged feeling the tears stinging my eyes but I refused to let them escape. The man stared into my eyes as he stepped closer to me.

“How old are you?” He asked studying my face.

“I don’t know, 17 or 18, what year is it?” I answered as truthfully as I could. He just nodded before speaking into his com

“Third enhanced non-hostile,” he spoke to the people with him before looking back at me, “you have a lot of questions to answer but lets get you out of here first,” I nodded and followed behind him to wherever he was taking me. I was going to be free, as long as we got out of here of course.

I sat in the back corner of the large aircraft trying to become invisible if I could, all of these people, superhumans and gods watched me apprehensively ready to pounce if I even breathed the wrong way, maybe I should have just made a break for it gone off on my own forged a new identity.

Steve, the large blond man, the man who had been my fathers best friend cleared his throat as he sat a few seats down from me, turning his body to face me. I looked over at him wringing my hands together in my lap.

“How long have you been with them? You know your fathers true identity so I assume you were not one of their creations,” Steve rogers started, running one hand through his blond hair.

“Just after I started school, my mom had registered me for kindergarten and a few weeks into the school year soldat and his handler showed up at our apartment, they killed her and took me,” I answered quietly.

“You said you’re enhanced?” He asked wondering how exactly I’m sure, at this question I saw the others perk up, paying much closer attention.

“I was born somewhat enhanced, the version of the super soldier serum passed down in a diluted way, after the soldier failed his last mission and escaped they sent me to where you just took me from and Strucker started his experiments on me, they told me they were planning on doing the same to me as they did my dad, take my memories and my identity and turn me into a mindless killing machine that only follows orders, because I wouldn’t comply on my own,” I told him trying to keep my emotions steady, out of the corner of my eye I saw the redhead woman smile at the last part.

“He used to tell me stories about you, you know, he couldn’t remember your name or your face and the details were not all there but he would tell me about how his friend used to get in fights in back alleys and he would have to save you from them.” I murmured to the blond man who smiled at me before getting up and walking over to the wounded member of his team to check over him. I turned forward and looked at the hands in my lap I wasn’t trying to hear the whispers of the three men as they looked at the scepter they retrieved but I couldn’t help but hear.

“Please tell me we have Barnes DNA on file somewhere,” the dark haired man who had been piloting whispered to Steve.

“HYDRA doesn’t exactly seem the type to put DNA on file,” Steve answered before they said something about the scepter a little louder, “she does look like him,” he commented after a moment.

“How are we going to know she is telling the truth though we can’t just take her word for it and even if her legal name is Barnes that doesn’t necessarily mean anything,” the dark haired man replied.

“My code name was Vesna,” I spoke loudly, looking up to the startled group of men, “it means spring, because I would ‘ _ warm the winter _ ’ I guess they think they’re poetic,” I spat, “I know some of his mission reports were uncovered the newer ones may mention me.”

“How did you ‘warm the winter’?” Steve asked furrowing his brow in confusion, it was the same look the rest of them were giving me.

“When he could see me, he wouldn’t fight them,” I began blinking back the tears, “they would make me stand there while they brought him out of Cryogenic sleep and then I had to take him to the room where he would be turned into the soldier, or have his memory wiped if necessary,” I finished wiping away the single tear that escaped my eye.

“and you just did it?” the dark haired man asked almost accusingly and it took everything in me not to stand up and punch him.

“Yes, because if he fought them they would hurt me and if I fought them, they would hurt him.” I answered my eyes hardened and locked onto the man. I could still see everyone else in the room cringe at the thought, “he is my dad and I am his daughter and all we wanted was to keep each other safe as well as we could, even when he was the soldier they could command him to hurt me and he wouldn’t,” I told them watching the man sink into his own thoughts and turn away, I looked back down at my own hands. Ready for wherever we were going. As long as I was far away from Hydra I didn’t care where we went. For the moment though, I was stuck in a small aircraft with a bunch of superhero’s. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2! Let me know what you think, I am really excited about this story and where I want it to go.

The aircraft landed on top of a tall glass building and as soon as the door opened two women in medical garb rushed in and pulled the gurney holding the injured man from the aircraft closely followed by the redhead woman. I sat still in my seat as the long haired blond man grabbed the glowing blue scepter and exited while a brunette woman walked on holding something against her hip.

“Lab is all set up, boss,” she said to the brunette man as he turned the pilot's seat around.

“Oh actually he’s the boss, I just... pay for everything and design everything and make everyone look cooler,” the brunette man answered pointing at the captain where he was kneeled in a corner looking over something. Steve stood and turned to the woman.

“What the word on Strucker?” He asked as he approached her.

“NATO’s got him,” She answered quickly.

“The hostile enhanced?” he asked and she turned the item; some sort of tablet; toward Steve.

“Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, twins orphaned at 10 when a shell collapsed their apartment building,” she explained, as they walked toward the ramp, I had no idea if I was supposed to follow but I did trailing behind into the skyscraper, “Sokovia has had a rough history, it’s nowhere special but, it’s on the way to everywhere special.”

“Their abilities?” he asked.

“He has improved metabolism and improved homeostasis, her thing is neuroelectric interfacing, telekinesis and mental manipulation,” She answered as they approached a metal door, he turned and looked at her questioningly.

“He’s fast and she’s a freak,” I spoke up from behind them. Both adults looked at me where I stood behind them and then back at each other.

“Basically,” the brunette woman shrugged.

“What about her?” He asked, gesturing to me with his thumb.

“The only thing we could find on her are these, Aktiv Vesna, or Asset Spring,” she answered as she flipped through the tablet and pulled up my HYDRA file with 2 photos of me one when I was 6 and one taken when I was sent to the other facility; Sokovia is what they had said, “running her photo through the database of missing and exploited children I did find a match, she went missing in October of 2002 when her mother was murdered in their apartment it was suspected to be drug or gang related and the girl was presumed dead as well,” she flipped through another photo of me on a missing poster then crime scene photos of a night I had dreamed of as well. I looked away from the gore on the screen as the woman continued. “They tried to erase her, unfortunately they didn’t count on her being reported missing. I couldn’t find her birth certificate, social security, any other information on her has been erased.” the woman finished.

“Ok,” Steve nodded deep in thought as he studied the photos that were a result of one of the worst nights of my life, he scrolled past the last one and a video sat on the screen waiting to be played, “What’s this?” He asked pressing the screen.

“Wait, maybe not-“ the brunette woman started but it was too late.

Everyone stood frozen as  _ sounds of screams filled the air ones I recognized and over his shoulder I could see myself strapped down to a metal table, a needle in my arm held by Strucker as I fought to break the metal restraints. _

_ “I’m going to end you!” I growled at the man, you could almost see the spit flying from my mouth through my clenched teeth. _

_ “Oh little Vesna, we wouldn’t let you get that far,” Strucker answered as he looked at a screen next to him, “perfect.” _

_ The scene changed and it was an aerial view of my cell and the room surrounding it from the side with the glass wall, Pietro and Wanda stood at the glass watching as I thrashed around on the small bed before I jolted awake. I knew what was going to happen, this video had no sound but I watched myself jump up before falling back to sitting on the edge of the bed. I watched myself jump to my feet again before wrenching the metal bed frame from the concrete floor and launching it at the glass wall. _

“I was going to show that one to you while she was in medical,” the brunette woman murmured, still standing frozen. My heart skipped a beat at her words, I wouldn’t be some lab rat again.

“I’m not going to medical,” I said quickly, rubbing at my eyes where the tears waited to escape again. 

“You are, you need to be evaluated, it’s nothing overly invasive, we just need to make sure you’re ok,” Steve said as he stepped into the elevator, before turning to the brunette woman and waving me in, “The twins will show up again.”

“Agreed, file says they volunteered for Strucker's experiments, that’s nuts,” the woman told him as I followed him into the elevator, He pushed a button before looking back at her.

“Right what kind of monster would let a German scientist experiment on them to protect their country,” he answered sarcastically.

“We’re not at war captain,” she retorted.

“They are,” he answered as the doors began to close, she stuck her hand in to stop them.

“One more thing, she is still a minor, I don’t know what you want to…” She began.

“I’ll take responsibility for her, until we find him anyway,” He interrupted before placing a hand on my shoulder and she let the doors close with a nod.

I sat in the medical lab, Steve had gone off to go over some reports or something and they had given me a once over and taken blood, which I was not happy about. I sat waiting as the doctors and the injured team member, agent Barton, they had called him bantered and discussed their concerns with the redhead when the dark haired man walked in. Tony they called him, they talked about his suit and how it would be useless, spoke about some sort of party he invited the female doctor to and he left with the other man, Dr. Banner he had called himself.

Steve walked in a few minutes later looking around after he spotted me sitting on the bench by myself.

“Where’s Dr Banner, is she good to go?” He asked the other Dr, Cho they called her.

“He is with Tony in the other part of the lab, she is in perfect health, if a little malnourished, he is waiting on the blood analysis but he will let you know of anything out of the ordinary. She is fine to go for now,” Dr. Cho answered him from where she was monitoring Agent Barton.

“Ok, thank you doctor, Natasha, do you think you have any clothing that would fit her, just until we are able to go shopping?” He asked the redhead woman.

“You’re keeping her?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. It sounded like she was talking about a dog.

“She’s my best friends kid, he was my brother in every way that matters, and until we find him I need to keep her safe, he would do the same if the situation was reversed plus she’s a minor so it’s that or foster care and well technically she doesn’t exist,” He answered rubbing the back of his neck.

“I have some things that should work, the pants might be a little short though,” she told him before looking at her friend, “I’m gonna go let her raid my closet, you’ll be alright for a little bit?” She asked the injured man.

“Yeah I’ll be fine,” he answered.

“You got a room for her figured out?” She asked Steve as she approached.

“Yeah right down the hall from me there’s an empty one,” he answered.

“I know which one you’re talking about, come on kid lets go,” she told me and I pushed myself up off the bench, she slung her arm around my shoulder and led me out of the lab and to another elevator.

She led me to a room that was very plainly decorated, only a few trinkets on the dresser and nightstand, the bed covered in a blood red comforter. She stepped into a walk-in closet and I followed closely behind her, as she started pulling a few pairs of jeans and some simple tanks from the racks and handing them to me.

“Go into the bathroom and try these on, well at least the jeans, the tops stretch so they should fit. Oh, you’ll need something for the party on Saturday. Do you want a dress or some pants?” She asked as she shooed me out of the closet toward the adjoining bathroom.

“Um, pants?” I answered with a confused frown, “am I even allowed to go to this party?” I asked. I’d never really been to a party, that I could remember anyway.

“Well it’s going to be here, so it would be better than sitting in your room,” she said as she went back into the closet looking for something else. I stepped into the bathroom and shut the door behind me shedding the worn out jeans I had on and trying on the different pants she gave me they did fit, mostly but she was right they were too short and a little tight in the thighs but it would work until I could get something else she knocked on the door and opened it before shoving several black garments at me.

“Try this on, it should work for the party. I’ve got some other stuff out here for you too when you’re done,” and she closed the door and walked out. I pulled off the jeans I had been trying on as well as the tank I had been wearing when I was awoken in Sokovia and pulled on the loose black sleeveless blouse with a lace border, followed by straight legged black trousers that were of course too short, and a blazer. I pushed my hair behind my shoulders and walked out into the bedroom.

“Is this ok?” I asked holding my arms out for her to look.

“I think it’s great, but what do you think about it?” she asked, watching me carefully.

“I mean it’s fine I guess, I don’t really know I had 3 outfits I would switch between and this is nicer than anything else I’ve ever owned,” I answered her picking at the edge of the blouse.

“Ok, that’s fine, if you’re ok with wearing that you can, I’ll have to ask Maria if she has shoes you can wear because I’m sure none of mine will fit you, I’ve got some pajamas and leggings and a jacket for you as well, go change out of that for now and I’ll take you to your room,” Natasha said gently. I stepped back into the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror, I really was a mess, my hair was everywhere and clearly had not been brushed, I had bags under my bloodshot eyes and my lips were red and chapped. It had been a long day that was for sure, I stripped out of the black ensemble and into the clothes I had been wearing. I put the items back on the hangers, grabbed everything and exited.

“Alright, help me grab some of this stuff and I’ll show you where your room is,” the redhead said and she stood and grabbed a small armful of clothes from the bed, I grabbed what was left and followed her out, “listen, Rebecca I know what you’re going through, if you ever need to talk to anyone my door is always open,” she told me as we rounded a corner and she stepped into a room with an open door, the lights already on.

“Thank you,” I told her as she set the items down on the bed, Steve stood in the room, looking at the furnishings. It was identical to Natasha’s except everything was plain, there were no trinkets and the bedding was plain white. I set the clothes I was carrying and picked up the hanging items to take them to the walk-in closet.

“Rebecca,” Steve called to me as I hung up the clothes.

“Whats up?” I asked stepping out into the main room and starting to put the folded items into the dresser.

“Have you ever been to school? Did they teach you there?” He asked, sounding very concerned.

“I mean I had a tutor, so I learned math, science, reading, writing, English, Russian and German as well as the history they wanted me to know but I know it’s probably not very accurate,” I answered him before catching the view of the city out the floor to ceiling window over his shoulder, “are we in New York?” I asked.

“Yes we are, I’m going to have you tested into school, you may know enough to just get your diploma but you should be in your senior year right now and I think being around normal kids your age would be good for you,” he told me and I scrunched my nose in disgust as I organized the few items in the dresser.

“I don’t think that’s something that needs to happen,” I told him, the idea of having to be around tons of people was completely unappealing.

“Like I said they’ll have to test you in, so if you can pass to graduate, we’ll talk about you not going but it would be good for you to become a normal member of society,” he told me leaning his hip against the corner of the dresser.

“So I’ve gathered my dad isn’t with you and you don’t know where he is,” I stated turning to look at him, mirroring his position. The blond man just nodded, “are you looking for him?” I asked my voice shaking as emotion took over.

“We are, we thought there was a possibility he was still with HYDRA but the facility you were in is the only one we hadn’t cleared yet,” he answered looking down at his feet his arms crossed firmly over his chest, “you said he escaped their control though, after he failed to kill me, we won’t stop looking but it sounds like he doesn’t want to be found,” he told me stepping closer and putting a comforting hand on my shoulder.

“The more power HYDRA loses the more comfortable he’ll be and hopefully he’ll stop running,” I told him with a nod before remembering something I had wanted to ask him, “Is there any way I could find someone, my Aunt Rebecca, I haven’t seen her since before I was taken,” I asked looking at him hopefully.

“I looked for her when I came back, she had died just before they fished me out of the Arctic, you knew her?” he asked looking confused.

“My mom told her I was my dad's Great Granddaughter and that she didn’t have any family but she wanted me to have one,” I explained with a nod, and Steve laughed, I smiled remembering the time I spent with my sweet namesake, “we would see her once a week. What about her kids?”

“I believe they’re still around but I don’t know for sure, we’ll get you a cellphone and a computer so you can look into it and do… lets call it independent research and studying,” he told me still nodding, “well you’ve had a long day, try and get some rest alright,” he stated softly patting me on the head as he headed toward the door.

“Thank you Uncle Steve, goodnight,” I told him softly, his face breaking into a grin as he looked back with one had holding the door.

“Goodnight Beck,” he murmured, stepping out of the room and closing the door behind him.

**”Would you like me to put the room in night mode Miss,”** a loud voice that came from nowhere and seemingly everywhere at once called.

“Who said that?” I asked looking around the empty bedroom.

**“My apologies Miss, I am J.A.R.V.I.S. I am a virtual assistant created by Mr. Stark to help run the building,”** the voice answered and I took a deep calming breath.

“Mr. Stark?” I asked, I knew the name; Stark, my father he killed Howard and Maria Stark back before I was born, it couldn’t be him though, right? I slowly paced around the room, looking at the empty bookshelf and the lamp on the nightstand.

**“Tony Stark Miss,”** J.A.R.V.I.S. answered.

“Huh,” I acknowledged his answer, pulling open the drawer on the nightstand spotting a remote of some sort, most likely for the television hanging on the wall. I believe they had a son named Anthony if I was remembering correctly, maybe it was him, if that was the case, I would keep that information close, hopefully no one asked questions.

**“Would you like me to activate night mode Miss?”** J.A.R.V.I.S. asked again.

“Um yes please, but don’t turn the lights all the way off, I know it's still light out but please, and call me Rebecca,” I answered to the air.

**“Of course Miss Rebecca, would you still like me to close the blinds?”** it asked.

“Oh, um yes,” I answered as I stripped out of the jeans and pulled on a pair of pajamas Natasha had given me. There was a whirr and thick blinds began to unroll down the window as all of the lights in the room dimmed, the lights in the attached bath turned off as well as the closet and I pulled back the covers on the bed before climbing in


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Becca reaches out to her family, Steve and Natasha take her shopping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uploading a day early?!?! What?? Let me know what you think <3\. Videos will also be up on TikTok coinciding with the chapter.

I woke up with a start sitting up in the bed that was much too large and looked around the room taking a moment to remember where I was and everything that happened yesterday. I let out a deep breath and when I looked toward the door I saw the redhead woman, Natasha, sitting on the corner of my bed looking at me, making me jump.

"Sorry I didn’t mean to scare you, J.A.R.V.I.S told me you were distressed, nightmare?" She asked following her explanation. I stared at her warily. "It’s alright you don’t have to tell me, I just want to let you know that I completely understand what you're going through, I was raised as an assassin for the KGB. So when I told you, you could talk to me, that I would understand I truly meant it, I won’t pity you, you were strong, you got out and you can make your own decisions now," she told me with a small smile.

"I don't remember what I was just dreaming about, but it's not hard to guess. Since I was moved it's been about the night he killed my mom," I whispered loud enough for her to hear.

"Your dad?" She asked.

"Yes, only in the dream he doesn’t take me, he slits my throat," I tell her looking down at my lap.

“Dreams can take our own traumas and make them a hundred times worse, the first time you ever came face to face with your father, he had murdered your mother in front of you, right?” she asked and I nodded, “after that, you knew what he could do but that he wouldn’t do it to you, then you were separated and the people who had you, changed you, made you more dangerous, your brain's fear is that when he sees you again he will think you are different or they have made you into a monster he doesn’t want you to be and not want you anymore,” she explained. Unfortunately it made sense and seemed to hit the nail on the head.

“I never thought about it like that,” I told her looking down at my blanket covered lap.

“Our dreams take our greatest joys, or our worst fears and exaggerate them, make them into something that is hard to decipher or make sense of until you take a step back and look at it from above,” Natasha said with a small smirk and a shrug. “Are you hungry, doctors said you were a bit malnourished, need to get some nutrients,” she changed the subject with ease.

“Um, yeah a little bit,” I answered with a tight smile.

“Alright, come on I’ll make you something,” she waved as she stood from the edge of the bed, “oh almost forgot, these are for you, Steve dropped them in for you earlier,” the redhead gestured to two items on the dresser, a laptop and a small tablet?

“Whats this?” I asked picking up the smaller device.

“A Stark phone, not as advanced as the one Tony uses but the consumer level one, you can access the internet on it as well,” she shrugged and I nodded powering on the device and unlocking it. It couldn’t be much different from a tablet, those I’ve used before. I followed behind Natasha as she walked through the wide halls of the skyscraper still looking at the phone and pulling up the internet I decided to search the only thing I could think of at that moment,

**Rebecca Barnes**

**Top results:**

**Rebecca (Barnes) Proctor Obituary**

**Rebecca Barnes Center for Missing and Exploited Children**

Knowing I most definitely did not want to look at my own missing poster, especially now that I was ‘found’ I clicked on the first result as we exited the hallway into a large open common area and followed Natasha to the kitchen.

“Do you like eggs? Are you vegetarian, vegan, or do you eat anything,” she asked as she opened the large refrigerator and inspected the contents. I looked up from the phone at her.

“I like eggs, and I eat anything, I didn’t really have much of a choice,” I answered and she paused in reaching for the large egg carton.

“Right,” she answered before shaking herself out of her thoughts and pulling the carton out of the fridge, “Scrambled, fried any preference?”

“Whatever you like,” I answered with a shrug.

“You’re an easy kid; I like you,” she told me, quirking her eyebrow with a smirk. I smiled back before sitting down on one of the stools and looking down at the phone.

_ Rebecca (Barnes) Proctor died on February 10 _ _ th _ _ 2011 surrounded by her friends and family, she is survived by her children Michael Proctor and Cecilia Proctor and her 3 grandchildren. _

With the information I needed I backed out of the page and searched again.

**Cecilia Proctor**

**Top Results:**

**Cecilia Proctor; New York City White Pages**

“Go put some bread in the toaster will you,” Natasha called and I looked up from the phone in my hand before setting it down on the counter and rounding the island to the bread box and toaster. I filled the overly expensive looking 4 slice toaster and pushed down the lever before turning back toward Natasha.

“Butter?” I asked.

“Right there,” she answered gesturing to a butter dish on the island.

“Silverware?” I asked next as I grabbed the butter dish.

“Second drawer from the end,” she pointed, not looking up, “Plates are above it.”

I grabbed a butter knife, 2 forks and 2 plates and headed back to the toaster just as it finished. I buttered all 4 pieces, placing 2 on each plate before taking them over to the stove where Natasha was finishing up the eggs. She plated them and pushed one with a lot more scramble than hers and moved to sit at the island. I sat beside her and began eating when she looked down at the unlocked phone.

“Who’s Cecilia Proctor?” She asked looking back up at me.

“Oh um, its my cousin, my dad had a sister turns out she died in 2011 and I used to visit her every week, I figured I would reach out to them, let them know I am in fact alive, Steve said it was fine,” I explained when she gave me a wary look.

“What did Steve say was fine?” Steve asked as he entered the common area leather jacket and shopping bag in hand.

“Reaching out to my cousins, Rebecca’s kids,” I answered as he set the shopping bag on the table.

“I did say that,” he comments with a nod before reaching into the bag and pulling out a carton of some sort. He opened the box and handed me a bottle, “drink this, your bloodwork came back and nearly all of your vitamin levels are low, the only reason you aren’t a walking stick is because of the serum, or so we’ve deduced.” I take it inspecting the bottle, some sort of nutrient shake. Shrugging I uncap it and chug the whole thing, it didn’t taste bad, but better to just get it over with. I set the bottle down on the counter as Natasha and Steve shared a strange look. I shrugged it off and finished off my food before grabbing the phone and looking at the white pages information.

“Uncle Steve?” I asked looking up at the man who was putting away the carton of shakes.

“Yeah Beck,” he acknowledged.

“Her daughter Cecilia is in New York still, could we just go over there, it would be more believable than a phone call,” I asked looking up at him as he leaned back against the counter with a sigh crossing his arms over his chest.

“Yeah, that’s fine, we can go tomorrow I’m taking you shopping so you can give Natasha her clothes back, I have some debriefs to go over as well as some work to get you to exist again,” he informed me and I nodded.

“Well I am most certainly tagging along, if you’re going tomorrow we can’t have you giving her fashion advice,” Natasha commented as she collected our empty plates and put them in the sink.

“If she’s ok with that, so am I,” they both looked at me and I just nodded with a shrug, “alright, you’ll be ok on your own?” He asks arms still crossed over his chest.

“Yeah, I’ve got a lot to catch up on, I’ll be fine,” I answered.

“Well at least is only 12 years and not 66,” he joked before waving as he walked off out of the residential area.

“I’m gonna head back to my room,” I told Natasha as I stood from the stool.

“Alright, let me know if you need anything,” she replied as she rinsed off the dishes before stacking them into a dishwasher.

“I will,” I called back as I entered the hall and headed back to what was now my bedroom. I grabbed the laptop off of the dresser and noticed something on the bookshelf, I walked over to find an assortment of history books and laughed, grabbing one at random and setting it on the bed next to the laptop. I sat against the pillows and opened the computer, music would be a good place to start. I searched it online and opened something called Spotify deciding to just play the top chart.

The next morning I stood between Steve and Natasha on the porch of Cecilia Proctor’s Brownstone wearing a pair of leggings, a long sleeve t, my worn out sneakers and the jacket Natasha had given me. The door opened and an older woman stood staring at the three people on her porch.

“Hi Cecilia, I don’t,” I started before I was interrupted.

“Little Becca??” She asked before stepping out of the door and pulling me into what would have been a bone crushing hug if I were a normal person, “I can’t believe you’re alive, how are you alive? Michael and I were always sure you had been killed, but mom she never gave up hope,” she blabbered with tears coming down her face, before pushing me back and inspecting me at arms length, keeping a death grip on my shoulders as if I would disappear if she didn’t hold me tight enough, “I have to call Mick,” she said to herself before the two people standing behind me caught her eye, “you’re Steve Rogers,” she said brow furrowed in confusion.

“Yes ma’am,” he nodded, hands still in his pockets.

“I remember you… kind of, you were a lot smaller back then,” she commented and Natasha chuckled, “come inside, all of you, I’m guessing there’s a lot we need to talk about,” she continued as she pulled me through the door, “take off your shoes please, I’m going to call Mickey,” she called over her shoulder as she walked down the narrow hallway.

I pulled off my shoes and looked around the hall as Natasha closed the door behind her and Steve bent down to untie his own shoes. I glanced at the pictures on the wall and a small hall table covered in trinkets, a whole life has been lived here that much was clear. I walked into the back of the home, following the same path Cecilia had taken and found her in the kitchen talking on a landline.

“Please just get over here and bring the box, yes Mickey I’m sure it's her; she showed up with Captain Rogers, and some redhead woman who looks like she could snap my neck without a second thought. Whatever she went through wasn’t normal. Now just hurry up would ya,” she spoke into the receiver before pulling it away from her ear and pressing the button to end the call.

She turned around and jumped when she saw me, “oh my goodness darling I didn’t hear you come in, my ears aren’t what they used to be,” she chuckled, I just smiled and nodded knowing she wouldn’t have heard me anyway. 

“Do you want something to drink? I can make some tea or coffee, I’ve got water of course and some soda for my grandkids when they come over,” she offered with a smile, “oh I should ask Mr. Rogers and your friend as well,” she chartered walking out of the kitchen and down the hall into a sitting room. Steve and Natasha were both standing in the small sitting room looking very out of place.

“Would you two like anything to drink, tea, coffee, we’re just waiting on my brother he shouldn’t be too long, he has some things for Becca in storage, Mom was always so sure she would come back, and well I’m sorry to say we didn’t agree but she made us promise not to get rid of the things for her,” Cecilia rambled, from the few memories I have of her it was pretty typical. Natasha looked over to Steve who looked slightly awkward standing there before looking back at the older woman.

“You know what? I would love some coffee, do you need any help?” Natasha asked, approaching Cecilia as the other woman nodded and led the redhead toward the kitchen. As soon as they were out of earshot Steve looked at me and chuckled.

“She is-“ he started looking lost for words.

“She’s a lot to deal with,” I finished with a giggle, he let out another chuckle and nodded in agreement. A few minutes later Cecilia returned carrying a tray of mugs, sugar, cream and a coffee pot with Natasha trailing behind her carrying a can which she handed to me before sitting in one of the armchairs. I looked down at the can of pepsi she handed me and shrugged before setting it on a coaster waiting on the coffee table and sitting on the far edge of the sofa. There was a quick knock at the front door before the sound of it opening. A few moments passed before an older man stumbled into the sitting room holding a small box in his arms, which he promptly dropped to the floor when his eyes met mine.

“Oh my lord, Becca it is you,” he muttered his voice shaking with emotion, “what in the ever living hell happened to you?” he asked before his eyes landed on the super soldier and spy sitting in the armchairs, “I didn’t believe you when you said Steve was here Cici, what in the world is going on?” he asked.

“That’s why I’m here, and it’s a long story so it’s probably better if you take a seat,” I told him and he nodded before picking up the box and looking down at it.

“Here, these are things from your mother, she gave them to my mother before she was killed,” he explained and I nodded, taking the box and lifting the lid. Inside were a few items I recognized and some I didn’t. I grabbed the journal sitting on top and looked up at my cousins seated beside me on the sofa.

“Have you two read these?” I asked looking between both of them.

“No, our mother made us promise we wouldn’t, she said it would be better, but she had,” I nodded in agreement before opening the cover of the journal and grabbing the photo that sat inside, it was the only photo he had left when he disappeared, the rest he had burned, but my mother had this one hidden in her journal.

“well it’s probably best to start with, I’m not James’ great granddaughter,” I told them watching their confused faces exchanging a look before continuing, “I’m his daughter,” I finished before handing the photo in my hand to Cecilia who held it between herself and her brother for them to examine it. It was a photo of my parents sitting together in an armchair, my mother perched across his lap, his arms wrapped around her waist as she smiled at the camera. While they sat shocked examining the photo I looked down at the first letter on the inside cover of the journal.

_ My love, _

_ When I returned home today you were gone, I can’t pretend to imagine the things you have gone through in your life. I fear you left because of the 2 ‘policemen’ who came to the door last night saying they were searching for a criminal seen nearby. I only wish I had been able to help you figure out who you are. I fear I already know you are not returning, but I’m writing this in hopes that one day you do. You were gone before I was able to tell you the news, I’m pregnant and I am so sad I will not be able to experience this with you, but I will write every bit down so that if you return one day you will get to know every detail of the life we have created. I am sorry I was not able to help you more, but I hope our paths will cross again soon. _

I wiped a tear from my eye knowing the rest of this journal was full of letters similar, including when she found his true identity. The rest of the room came into focus and I heard the conversation happening around me.

“How is it possible that he’s still alive and still so young,” Cecilia asked, looking up at Steve.

“The same way I am, only he had a very different path,” Steve answered solemnly, “when he fell off the train, he survived but was taken by a Nazi organization know as HYDRA.”

“The one that was revealed last year in the info dump?” Mick asked, looking both horrified and confused.

“The very same, he was tortured and experimented on to become a brainless assassin and has been doing that in and out of cryosleep for the last 70 years.” Steve explained further.

“Well then how did this happen?” Ceci asked, pointing at the photo still in her hand.

“He broke their control, they took his memories, so he didn’t know who he was, my mom saw him walking down the street one night and he looked very confused and didn’t know his name or anything, just that he was in Brooklyn. She brought him to her apartment and he slept on the couch and they started talking the next day, he would tell her really jumbled stories about the war, and his life before that didn’t make much sense and they ended up falling for each other,” I explained, a combination or a story I barely remembered and a jumbled story my father had told me, “she started writing down everything he would tell her about his life, to hopefully figure it out,” I continued pointing at the box full of journals and notebooks.

“If he didn’t know who he was how did she figure it out?” Mick demanded looking more confused.

“After he left, she was at the museum with her friends and they were in the World War 2 exhibit when they found the section for the Howling Commandos and she saw his pictures, everything kind of fell into place, his war stories that didn’t line up with his physical age, the way he spoke,” I explained watching him fall into his thoughts, “she started doing research, found your mother and came up with a believable story for how I existed, the illegitimate great granddaughter from a child he fathered before he went to war.” I finished and Steve smirked.

“Well what happened to you, and your mother?” Cici questioned.

“HYDRA found out about me, I don’t know how, it took them 5 years though, and they took me. I was raised to become one of them, Steve and his team found me accidentally 2 days ago,” I answered looking down at my hands in my lap.

“Well where's Uncle Bucky then?” Mick asked, looking to Steve and Natasha.

“He was there last year, he broke their control and his location is still unknown but he is no longer with HYDRA,” Steve answered looking down at his feet. I took in a shaky breath at the thought of my missing father.

“Well isn’t that just… something,” Cecilia murmured seemingly at a loss for words before she perked up and looked at me, “Becca darling do you need somewhere to stay, someone to take responsibility?” She asked hopefully.

“I’m going to be staying with Steve,” I answered nodding toward the blond man, “it would be easier since I have extra needs,” I commented.

“What do you mean?” Mick asked, looking horrified and confused.

“I’m like my dad, and Steve, I have an improved immune system and I’m inhumanly strong,” I explained.

“Did they do that to you?” Cici asked, looking even more horrified.

“I was born with it, but they ‘improved’ it,” I responded, making air quotes around improved. The things they did to me weren’t an improvement in my eyes but it was something I could take advantage of now.

“Well I am very happy to see you, you are coming over for Sunday dinner with everyone, they will be ecstatic to see you,” Cecilia began, before she turned toward Steve and started asking him questions. I looked down at the items in the box at my feet and picked out a photo album, opening the cover a folded piece of paper fell out. I grabbed the single sheet and unfolded it.

_ Rebecca, _

_ I am giving these things to you because I fear something is going to happen to me. I have to admit that I have been lying to you, little Becca is not James’ great granddaughter, she is his daughter. I do not know how he is still alive or still young, but in one of these journals there is a photo of the two of us and I hope you will believe me, it is difficult for even me to believe and I was with him. I don’t know who he is with or what he has done but I can not imagine that it was good. One of the parents at school have begun asking questions about Becca, you see she is not a normal child, whatever these people have done to James made him stronger, and it affected Rebecca too, she is much stronger than other children and she eats nearly as much as I do but stays thin. I have begun to see men in black trucks outside of my apartment building at all hours of the day a few times they have followed me, I purchased a set of mens clothes, a hat and large sunglasses just to bring these things to you. I am worried these people want my sweet Becca and I am sure they would not let me survive when they eventually take her. I fear they want her for selfish reasons and I do not believe they would get rid of her if I am killed. Please never stop believing she is alive. It is probably best if you do not tell anyone else about this, you are the only person I can trust. _

I heard myself take in a shaky breath and when I looked up all of the other eyes in the room were on me, a mix of concern and confusion. It seems my mother knew more than she was letting on, I would have to read whatever other secrets she had buried in these journals. 

“She knew they were watching her, that they were coming for her,” I said, trying to contain my emotions as I waved the letter around.

“Can I see it?” Natasha spoke up from where she sat in one of the armchairs and I looked at the letter before extending it to her over the coffee table. She scanned through the letter quickly nodding.

“She was smart, if she hadn’t brought that to her it all would have been destroyed and it let someone else know what was actually happening, sort of anyway,” she nodded handing the letter back to me, I tucked it away in one of the other journals and began flipping through the photo album, photos documenting every moment of my life, I smiled at the descriptions of the photos and the odd smudge here or there.

“Beck,” Steve called from his seat, and I looked up from the album “we should get going we have a lot of shopping to do since you need an entire wardrobe,” he said looking between me and Nat.

“Oh, right,” I commented closing the photo album and putting it in the box before replacing the lid and standing up, “thank you for letting us come in, and for keeping these things for me, I’ll be here on Sunday for dinner unless something happens,” I told my cousins who both stood from the couch. Cici moved in to hug me.

“Of course Becca,” she started before holding me at arms length again, “do you have a phone?” she questioned and I nodded, “well here let me put my number in and you can send me a text message to let me know if you are going to be here or not,” she held out her hand and I fished the phone out of my jacket pocket unlocked it and handed it to her.

“Oh you have one of those fancy Stark phones,” she commented as she put her number in, “although I guess that makes sense since you’re staying with the leader of the avengers,” she rambled before she finished and handed the phone back. She stepped aside and Michael approached before pulling me into a hug.

“Glad to have you back Becca,” he whispered before pressing a kiss into the side of my head, “we’ll see you soon,” he told me as he pulled away. I grabbed the box, placing it on my hip to carry before following Steve and Natasha to the door. I went to set the box down and Steve grabbed it from me, his shoes already on and I smiled as he stepped through the door carrying the box to the SUV we had taken. I pulled on my shoes before standing up and turning back around to wave to my 2 cousins standing in the entryway before following after Steve, Natasha waiting on the porch and slinging her arm around my shoulder before we walked to the car together.

We ended up at a large department store downtown since it would have the most options, Steve trailing behind Natasha and I as she pulled me through the shop to the women's section.

“Alright, just start wandering, grab things that catch your eye, things you like, and then we’ll go for basics after,” she instructed and let go of my arm. I looked out at the sea of racks all stuffed full of garments and began wandering through the narrow spaces in between. The first item to catch my eye was a thick button down flannel, I grabbed it in a larger size so it would be comfortable before continuing on, a deep maroon Henley with buttons caught my eye next and I grabbed it slinging it over my arm as well. I kept going, adding more and more clothes to the growing pile in my arms including a pair of black distressed jeans that I loved. Natasha grabbed that pile and told me to continue until my arms were full again and she shooed me toward the dressing room and we took far too long working our way through the large heap of clothes. Once we had everything that fit and I liked she handed the narrowed down lump to Steve and hung the rest to be put away and pulled me along back into the shop. She picked out camisoles and long and short sleeve t’s in several colors as well as a variety of loungewear and workout gear, as well as a large purse and wallet, before we moved on to shoes. So many shoes, casual sneakers, training sneakers, boots, heals, sandals. She decided we were finished at this store and drug us to the checkout where they rang up each item to a ridiculous total.

“Guy I don’t think I need all this, that’s a lot of money,” I commented as Steve pulled out his wallet.

“Don’t even worry about it sweetheart, you don’t even WANT to know how much backpay he got for being frozen in the ice for 66 years,” Natasha commented and Steve laughed in embarrassment. “plus you’re starting from nothing, so you do need all of this, especially once word gets out about you because the world will be watching,” she murmured much quieter. The clerk handed us the bags and we took them out of the shop, putting them in the car before Nat tugged me along down the street, she stopped in front of a store with a sleek black and white exterior with pink lights shining along the side.

“Give me your card, wait out here,” Natasha said suddenly and I turned to see her looking up at Steve who looked very confused, “unless you want me to call you when we get done so you can come in and pay but you’re not going underwear shopping with her,” she continued holding her hand out expectantly. Steve sighed and rolled his eyes before fishing his wallet out of his pocket and handing the card to the redhead. She grabbed my hand and began pulling me toward the door as Steve walked toward a nearby bench.

“Oh my god! You’re captain America!” I heard squealed as we stepped through the glass doors.

“Is he gonna be ok?” I asked Natasha looking back toward the street.

“He’s a big boy, he’ll be fine, come on,” she reassured me as she pulled me further into the store to a back area decorated in pink.

“Is there anything I can help you find today?” A young woman dressed in all black asked, stepping up in front of us with a bright smile, fingers playing with a tape measure hanging around her neck.

“Yes actually you can, she needs to be fitted for bras, and we will be purchasing both bras and underwear today,” Natasha answered the young woman.

“Ok great, real quick are you wearing a compression bra?” the girl asked, looking at me. I looked at her, sure my face looked just as confused as I felt.

“Um-“

“Yes, she is,” Natasha answered.

“Alrighty, in that case to get an accurate measurement we’re gonna go into the back and pop you into a changing room to take that bra off please,” she explained as she lead us to a back area before opening a small door in a row of them and waving me in, “just go ahead and take that bra off and then put your shirt back on and open up the door so I can come measure you,” she told me as she closed the door.

She got my measurements and Natasha helped me pick out way too many bras as well as underwear in all different cuts, colors and patterns.

“Natasha I don’t know if all of this is necessary,” I told her looking at the mesh bag that was nearly overflowing at this point.

“It really is honey, and call me Nat please, you’re starting from zero, most people build up what they have over time and replace things as needed but you, you need everything,” she countered and I sighed as she looked at a few things as we walked toward the cash registers and she chuckled, “should I get myself a few gifts from Steve for helping,” she joked continuing on. We checked out and exited the store, 2 large pink bags one held by each of us. Steve looked up from the bench when he heard the doors open and hopped up from his spot approaching us quickly.

“Alright anything else?” He asked, looking between us.

“Make up, skincare personal hygiene items,” Nat commented.

“She already has those last ones,” Steve countered.

“She needs good ones, not a single bar soap,” Nat told him with a stern look on her face as she handed back his card.

“She doesn’t ju-“ he started but shut his mouth at Nat’s glare. I laughed at that, how she could make him stop speaking with a single look, but not sure what exactly she meant about bar soap.

“Alright come on last store,” she told me before pulling me down the sidewalk again. We walked for several minutes before finally entering a shop with an orange awning.

“Is there any makeup you're interested in?” She asked and I shrugged before walking through the shop looking at the different aisles as Steve trailed behind me and Nat had disappeared somewhere. She reappeared a few minutes later with a mesh shopping bag already filled with several bottles and jars as well as a couple of boxes and 2 hair brushes.

“Any makeup catch your eye?” she asked and I pointed at the thing I had been looking at before she approached, something called ‘eyeshadow’ with several different colors, the pictures on the advertisements were amazing.

“Hi is there anything I can help you with?” A woman asked as she approached our small group.

“Yes, we need product recommendations and shade matching, and if you wouldn’t mind showing her how to use some of this that would be great, it seems the colorful eyeshadows have caught her eye,” Nat answered with a charming smile.

“Of course, I can do that for you right now,” she said as she led us around the shop stopping at different products and pulling out different samples, testing them on my face and Nat placed them in the bag as we went, she grabbed different tools and brushes, explaining what they were for then grabbed the ‘pallet’ I liked and showed me different ways to use it. We checked out and Steve practically dragged Nat to the SUV before she could get any more ideas. 

We headed back to the tower and carried up the obscene number of shopping bags to the residential floor, setting the bags down in my room Nat grabbing the clothes and taking them to the laundry room dragging me with her and showing me how to use the machine and what to do


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony’s party at the tower, how will the night end up for Rebecca

It was the following evening and I was finishing getting ready for the party that would be thrown upstairs in the penthouse, I had decided to still wear the outfit Nat had given me since we hadn’t thought to pick out anything appropriate for the get together and I was perched on the counter in the bathroom trying to apply my makeup, I had tried following what the woman at the store had told me yesterday and even looked up videos online, unfortunately the torture device known as eyeliner was looking like it would be my downfall, I had done everything else just fine, I had even pulled my hair up into an intricate double bun but it seemed eyeliner would defeat me tonight. I heard a knock on the bedroom door and looked out the open bathroom into my bedroom.

“Come in!” I shouted still sitting on the counter in my robe.

“Hey how’s it coming along?” Nat asked stepping into the bathroom, “what are you doing?” She asked looking at me perched on the counter looking defeated.

“I can’t get this stupid eyeliner right,” I told her with a sigh. She laughed and I gave her a confused look.

“Sorry just when your dad was trying to kill me he had…” She tried to explain but was overtaken with another set of laughter.

“Oh the paint around his eyes, yeah, so if there was any footage it would skew anyone from recognizing him if the mask came off,” I answered and she nodded still chuckling.

“I know what it’s for, its just that he looked like he had put on eyeliner and it had all melted off,” she explained before reaching for the pen and grabbing my chin, pulling my face toward her, “hold still,” she commanded uncapping the pen and finishing off the eyeliner I had started and doing the other eye for me. She stepped back recapping the pen and setting it down looking proud of her work. I turned and looked in the mirror at how she had finished what I had tried to do and smiled.

“Thank you Nat,” I told her grabbing the ‘mascara’ tube and applying it to my lashes.

“Of course, you look great Becca, now hurry up its starting soon and we don’t really have an excuse to be late since we live here,” Nat ordered and I laughed. I put on a deep red lipstick before going to retrieve the ensemble from the closet.

“We can’t tell tony there was a traffic jam in the hallway?” I asked smiling as she came out of the bathroom and sat on my bed while I entered and closed the door. I threw on the silky blouse, straight legged pants and blazer, exiting the room again and grabbing the black heels from the closet before entering the room and holding my arms up giving the redhead a small twirl.

“You look great, now lets go,” she stood straightening her black skirt and fixing the white top of her dress.

“Well you look amazing,” I retorted and followed her out the door, through the halls and to the elevator to go to the penthouse. The elevator doors opened and there were already far too many people there and I wasn’t sure what to do so I followed behind Nat until I saw a slightly more quiet seating area and took and empty armchair. I noticed the dark haired Doctor from the other day and smiled to him

“Hello Dr. Banner, I haven’t seen you around the last few days,” I greeted.

“Oh, um yes hi.. I was… I’ve been helping, um helping Tony on a project in the lab,” he stammered looking a bit weary. I just smiled and nodded as he turned back to the drink in his hand. I looked around and saw an upper walkway that was far less crowded and decided to explore a bit. I went up the steps passing a few people here and there before reaching the end and turning around, I stopped at a pair of chairs and took a seat when I heard a familiar voice coming my way.

“If I had known it was gonna be a fire fight I absolutely would have called,” Steve commented as his voice carried up the stairs with him.

“No, no I’m not actually sorry, I’m just trying to sound tough,” an unfamiliar male voice retorted, “besides I’m very happy chasing cold leads on our missing persons case,” they continued and I perked up looking up as Steve came around the corner walking next to another man neither noticing me, “Avenging is your world,” he threw out as they both came to a stop looking out the glass overlook at the rest of the party.

“You’re helping look for my dad?” I asked standing from my seat and coming up from behind them. The unfamiliar man jumped jerking around and nearly spilling his drink and making Steve chuckle.

“Who in the hell are you?” He asks looking between me and Steve.

“Oh right, this is Rebecca, she’s Bucky’s daughter, they had her locked up in the facility we cleared, she had been with them for 12 years, Beck this is my friend Sam Wilson,” Steve introduced, I just nodded at him and he stared at me. I could tell he was uncomfortable from my presence.

“That is a child,” he commented, looking at Steve, “why is she here?” He asked.

“Hey I’m seventeen,” I snapped, before suddenly feeling unsure, “right?” I asked Steve, still not knowing my actual age. That got him laughing and he just nodded.

“Ok, that’s a teenager, what is she doing here” Sam corrected.

“I’m staying with Steve until we find my dad,” I told him with a glare.

“That has to throw a wrench in the plan of a bachelor pad in Brooklyn,” Sam commented to Steve who chuckled again.

“I don’t know if I can afford a place in Brooklyn,” Steve joked back and I just watched on. I wasn’t sure what exactly he meant by that since they had insisted Steve had plenty of money just yesterday. I followed them for a bit when they rejoined the party, sitting with a few veterans with Thor as he poured some sort of liquor into a shot glass and handed it to Steve. 

“Young Rebecca, would you like something to drink?” Thor boomed, pointing to the unopened bottles of beer. 

“Thor no she’s too young to drink,” Steve interrupted before I could say anything.

“But you can’t get drunk right, so I wouldn’t be able to either,” I retorted.

“It doesn’t matter, you’re only 17 Beck,” he told me with a scowl. Thor just shrugged as the older men asked him for some of his special liquor. I turned around and leaned against the bar watching as Steve's friend Sam and Agent Barton played pool.

I ended up sitting at the bar where Nat was before she got up to make herself a drink and Dr. Banner approached. I listened to them flirt and smiled to myself sipping a glass of water. Before she went off again and Steve approached Banner. He told him about how he should go for things with Nat.

“No, she just, likes to flirt,” Bruce stammered as Steve reached over the bar and grabbed a beer.

“I’ve seen her flirt, upclose, this aint that,” Steve insisted.

“Yeah she’s totally into you,” I called out as I slid off the stool and followed Natasha to where the team of avengers were gathering.

“She scares me,” Bruce commented as I walked off.

“She’s a teenage girl,” Steve retorted before going back to the previous subject. I reached the lounge where some of the team was gathered around a large coffee table and looked for a spot. Clint looked up at me and smiled.

“Right here Rebecca,” he called reaching a hand behind his head and patting the sofa he was leaning against. I rounded to the back of the sofa and climbed over the back sitting cross legged between Clint and Agent Hill who both sat on the floor. After a moment he turned his head toward me before murmuring “Watch this,” he grabbed a playing card off the top of a deck and launched it at Tony who wasn’t paying attention sitting on the edge of a coffee table and having a conversation with his friend. The man looked up when it hit the side of his head looking surprised and I giggled.

“How did you do that?” I asked still giggling, Clint smiled, setting the drumsticks he had been holding aside and pushing himself up to sit straighter before grabbing a card and turning his torso toward me.

“Alright, what you're going to want to do is hold it between these fingers,” he told me, demonstrating the hold, “and then you choose your target, and you flick your wrist,” he pulled the card from his fingers before showing me the motion, “just like that, you got it?” he asked holding the card out for me to take and I nodded grabbing the card and he grabbed another one from the top of the deck while I put the card in my fingers the way he had showed me before looking around for who my target would be, quickly deciding on Natasha who was talking to Agent Hill and not paying attention. I threw the card and it flew toward the redhead, and she calmly tilted her head letting it fly past her before she looked up at me with a disapproving smirk.

“Oh bad move Becca, bad move,” Clint teased and I just laughed sitting sideways on the sofa and falling back against the edge. I heard footsteps coming our way and I sat up, reaching over Clint and grabbing another card off the the top of the deck. I turned in the direction of the footsteps and saw Clint turn toward where I was looking out of the corner of my eye. Steve and Bruce came around the corner still having a quiet conversation but coming to join the group and I pinched the card and took aim before launching it at the side of Steves head. It hit him just above his ear and he turned toward the group quickly looking completely confused. At the look on his face I broke down in a fit of giggles and Clint joined my laughter and I even heard Nat let out a chuckle. Bruce just quickened his pace taking a seat at the end of the sofa I occupied and leaning over to talk to Nat. After a moment Steve shook his head and walked around the group to take a seat across from me next to where Thor sat. Everyone relaxed for the night all of the other guests gone as they began to converse, the topic led to the large metal hammer sitting on the coffee table.

“But it’s a trick!” Clint called out spinning a drumstick between his fingers as Thor laughed.

“No, no it’s much more than that,” the large blond man insisted pouring a shot of his liquor into Steve’s beer bottle.

“Ah, whosoever be he worthy shall haveth the power,” Clint called out dramatically making me smile as I looked at the topic of conversation sitting in the middle of everyone, “whatever man it’s a trick!” he shouted.

“Please, be my guest,” the man called gesturing to the item.

“Come on,” Tony encouraged.

“Really,” he retorted before setting the drumsticks down on the table.

“Oh this should be good,” Tonys friend commented as Clint rounded the table.

“Clint you’ve had a tough week, we wont hold it against you if you cant get it up,” Tony taunted getting chuckles from a few of the others.

“You know I’ve seen this before right?” Clint asked the longhaired man, who nodded in response smiling as Clint grabbed the handle and pulled, the hammer not budging at all.

“I still don’t know how you do it,” the man laughed.

“Smell the silent judgement?” Stark teased.

“Please Stark, by all means,” Clint retorted gesturing to the hammer. Tony cleared his throat dropping his sunglasses as he stood and unbuttoning his jacket. I watched him as he made a show of approaching the table.

“Never one to shrink from an honest challenge,” he commented stepping over agent Hill and rounding the table, “It's physics,” he continued pulling his sleeves up a bit and slipping his wrist into the strap. He was very overconfindent in himself, well that’s what he wants everyone to think anyway, I thought to myself.

“Right so if I lift it, then I rule Asgard?” He asked Thor.

“Yes of course,” Thor answered smirking.

“I will be reinstituting Prima Nocta,” he stated as he placed one leg on the edge of the table and his other hand on the base of the handle. I made a disgusted noise at his comment as he began trying to hoist the metal hammer with a grunt.

“Be right back,” he stated and walked away returning with the arm of his metal suit and trying again as the hammer continued to sit unmoving on the coffee table. “You help me,” he pointed at his friend who returned with a portion of a different metal suit.

“Are you even pulling?” his friend; Rhodey asked.

“Are you on my team,” Tony retorted.

“Just represent, pull,” the man continued

“Alright lets go,” he said and turned the power on the thrusters higher.

“Bruce?” Thor asked smirking. Bruce nodded and stood, going for the same strategy as tony before making an exaggerated growl as he stepped back throwing his arms out and I looked at everyone confused and they all just looked unamused, Nat giving him a sympathetic smirk. Thor looked to Steve after Bruce sat and he stood with a shrug.

“Go ahead Steve. No pressure,” Tony commented as Steve stepped over Thor's extended legs, rolling his sleeves even more. Everyone smiled as Steve approached.

“Come on Cap,” Clint cheered on as Steve grabbed the handle. He flexed his arms and pulled, the hammer moving the slightest bit and making a squeak on the table. I watched Steve and noticed the muscles in his arms were flexed but he wasn’t actually putting much effort into moving the hammer. I glanced over to Thor who had sat straight in panic watching it closely. Steve ‘tried’ again and it didn’t move at all and he let out a large ‘sigh’ as if from the effort before putting his hands up in defeat.

“Nothing,” Thor laughed in relief as Steve returned to his spot.

“Widow?” Banner asked as Steve took his seat beside me.

“That’s not a questions I need answered,” she declined taking a sip of her beer, Thor looked to me.

“Young Rebecca?” He asked.

“Oh that’s a question I already know the answer to,” I replied shaking my head.

“All deference to the Man Who Wouldn’t be King, but it’s rigged,” Tony commented gesturing to Thor.

“You bet your ass,” Agent Barton agreed, patting Tony’s shoulder.

“Steve, he said a bad language word,” Maria exclaimed in false shock and horror teasing the blond man. I turned toward him in confusion.

“Did you tell everyone about that?” Steve asks Tony in exasperation.

“The handles imprinted, right?” Tony asked interrupting Steve trying to change the subject, “like a security code,” he continued. I looked over to Thor who looked unamused, “whosoever is carrying Thor’s fingerprint, is I think, the literal translation,” he explained and I looked back at Steve, my eyebrows raised.

“Yes,” Thor stated pushing himself up off the sofa, “it’s a very very interesting theory, I have a simpler once,” he continued before grabbing the weapon by the handle and tossing it, letting it spin in the air before he caught it again, “you’re all not worthy,” he shrugged and the group groaned as I laughed. There was a high pitched noise almost like a chime and I cringed covering my ears as my heart started to race remembering the times HYDRA guards would use noises like this to disarm me. It stopped quickly and I uncovered my ears frantically looking around the room before another sound started.

“WOoORthhyy,” came a broken down robotic voice, the sound of footsteps accompanying it.

“What the hell is that?” I whispered as a broken down humanoid robot stumbled in, leaking fluids on the pristine floor.

“No,” it stated, “How could you be worthy?” It asked before continuing, “you’re all killers,” it stated gesturing to everyone in the room with its broken arm and spilling more oil across the floor. I felt frozen on the sofa as I watched the machine, I decided I needed to stand, to be able to run or fight and I stumbled backwards off the couch to my feet never taking my eyes off of the robot. Clint immediately grabbed me and shoved me behind him. Steve stood from the lounge ready to defend.

“Stark,” Steve commanded. I wasn’t sure what he was commanding the man to do, but clearly this thing was supposed to be under the brunette man’s control.

“Jarvis,” the man in question called with no answer before the robot thing started speaking again.

“Sorry, I was asleep,” it stated before ‘looking’ into the distance as if deep in thought, “or I was a dream” it corrected. I slipped out of my heels discreetly, knowing I wouldn’t be able to run or fight in them.

“Reboot Legionnair OS,” Tony murmured into his ‘phone’, “we got a buggy suit,” he stated tapping on the device as it did not respond.

“There was a terrible noise,” it continued with it’s monologue, “and I was tangled in… in…” it seemed to think for the right word, “strings. I had to kill the other guy.” He stated casually, “he was a good guy.”

“You killed someone?” Steve asked cautiously I looked back at him quickly and he was looking to me with worry in his eyes.

“Wouldn’t have been my first call,” it stated still stumbling around, “but down in the real world we’re faced with ugly choices.”

“Who sent you?” Thor asked. A recording began playing ‘ _ I see a suit of armor around the world’  _ Tony’s voice rang through the room. I glanced over to the man in question who stared unmoving at the robot, before I looked around at the rest of the group who all looked at the brunette.

“Ultron,” Bruce stated looking to Tony.

“In the flesh,” the bot answered, “or, no not yet, not this chrysalis,” it corrected itself, “but I’m ready,” it continued and I watched as Agent Hill pulled a pistol from a holster on her thigh, quietly clicking off the safety, Thor twirled his weapon in his hand, my heart skipped a beat. “I’m on a mission.”

“What mission?” Natasha asked with a quiet confidence as Maria stood slowly from her seat.

“Peace in our time,” it answered before several more bots crashed through the wall behind it. I saw one coming toward me and tried to jump out of the way but it was too fast crashing into me and launching me back over the other sofa, another coming for Steve and he kicked up the coffee table using it to shield the blow of the bot. I laid there trying to catch my breath but, too many things were happening as the sound of gunfire and crashing rang around me, my heart raced, blood pounding in my ears. I jumped up from where I had crashed on the cold tile, my bare feet aching as they stepped on debris from the shattered table, ready for a fight I watched Tony and his friend jump over a railing before being attacked by a bot, Tony crashing into a pool table and Rhodey going through a window onto the balcony below. Nat and Bruce lept over the bar, Bruce getting stuck on the bartop before pulling himself over. One of the bots flew through the air and Steve lept onto its back before it slammed him into a wall knocking him off and Nat fired shots as she and Bruce raced up the steps. I heard crashing and glass breaking as I looked around, grabbing a still intact coffee table and launching it at the bot, it jostled it but had no other effect other than turning its attention toward me and Tony jumped onto a different bot. It raised its hand ready to fire and I dove behind another sofa before Steve grabbed it and tossed it to Thor who crushed it beneath his weapon.

“Cap!” Clint shouted from somewhere before throwing Steve’s shield, he quickly jumped into action grabbing it from the air and launching it to the last intact bot and it was smashed to pieces.

“That was dramatic,” the broken down leader bot stated, “I’m sorry I know you mean well, you just didn’t think it through,” it began monologuing again as everyone collected themselves and I stood as Steve began approaching it. “You want to protect the world, but you don’t want it to change. How is humanity saved if it’s not allowed to evolve? With these?” it asked with a sinister chuckle picking up one of the destroyed bots, “these puppets,” it spat its distaste, “theres only one path to peace, the avengers extinction,” it continued before Thor launched his weapon at it. It burst into pieces its lights flashing as it began to die.

“I had strings, but now I’m free,” it singsonged before the lights went out. My shaking legs gave out from under me now that the immediate danger was gone and I fell to the floor. My whole body ached from being bodyslammed and launched through the air by a robot. I had become comfortable already, thinking that now I was away from HYDRA I was out of danger. Everyone else seemed to collect themselves almost immediately and were getting up, Tony and Bruce collecting pieces of broken bots while I just sat like a shaking mess on the floor.

“Rebecca,” I heard called out after some time. My head snapped up and I saw Steve standing there looking at me and heard someone rushing down the stairs in the distance.

“Hey, be careful, you’re being too loud,” Nat murmered as she came from somewhere behind Steve before she kneeled in a spot that wasn’t covered in some sort of debris next to me, “Rebecca, it’s alright now, they’re gone do you want to go down to your room just incase?” she whispered and carefully reached her hand out toward me, her voice was soothing and my shaking calmed.

“I don’t want to be by myself,” I answered shaking my head, grabbing onto her hand tightly, I don’t know why I was being like this. I know how to fight, I know how to kill I have superstrength I was raised to be the next generation of super soldier assassins.

“Okay, come on then, let’s get off the floor, do you think you can do that, are you hurt?” She murmured rubbing my blazer covered arm with her hand trying to soothe me.

“I can… I can get up,” I nodded, reaching back to push myself up on my hands and falling back because my arms were shaking too much. Steve walked over quickly and picked me up setting me down on the couch and standing in front of me looking more and more concerned.

“I’m going to check on Bruce, just talk to her, quietly,” Natasha instructed before walking away.

“Are you sure you’re not hurt?” Steve asked as he took a seat next to me and I nodded staring straight ahead as my brain rushed seeming to play the whole evening in super speed.

“Hey Uncle Steve, earlier, were you trying not to hurt his feelings?” I asked thinking back to the mini competition with Thor’s weapon.

“What?” He asked looking confused.

“With Thor’s hammer, were you just trying to not hurt his feelings?” I repeated with clarification. He snapped his head around the room making sure no one was in earshot.

“How did you…” he started.

“You aren’t a very good actor, well maybe you are no one else seemed to notice,” I answered before he finished.

“You can’t…” 

“I wasn’t going to tell anyone,” I interrupted again looking in his eyes so he knew I was sincere. He nodded and I heard the sound of heels on tile approaching I looked up to see Nat coming towards us with a pair of slippers in hand holding them out to me.

“Come on, lets go get you changed,” she instructed and I took the slippers from her hands and put them on while she looked around spotting my discarded shoes, one flung under the sofa and the other near the armchair she had been sitting in. She picked up both shoes before turning back to me, “Come on Becca lets go get changed, then we’ll go meet the boys in the lab,” she told me before nodding at Steve. He helped me up and Nat slung her arm around my shoulder as she guided me to the elevator. 

She lead me to her room sitting me down on her bed before gathering a change of clothes and stepping into her bathroom and closing the door behind her. When she remerged she was wearing a black tank and jeans with a large gray sweatshirt over it.

“Take off the slippers,” she instructed, I did as she said even though I was confused as to why. She set down a first aid kit I hadn’t noticed in her hand next to me and picked up my now bare foot, pulling out splinters and glass with a set of tweezers, I hadn’t felt any of it. “Is there anywhere else that you got cut up?” She asked opening the box and pulling out disinfectant.

“I didn’t even know I had that,” I answered shaking my head, she put the disinfectant on a cotton ball and went to apply it, “you don’t have to do that, it’ll be healed in a couple of hours,” I tried to tell her and she just gave me a strict stare.

“Do you know how to defend yourself?” She asked me not looking up from where she was disinfecting the cuts in my feet.

“I know how to fight,” I answered.

“That’s not what I asked,” she stated before grabbing bandages and placing them over the cuts.

“Then I don’t know what you mean,” I answered shrugging uncomfortable with the questions.

“Well I’m going to teach you to defend yourself and incorporate it into your fighting so you know something other than offense, come on lets get you changed,” Natasha instructed standing and grabbing the items she had used to discard them and put away the first aid kit. I put the slippers back on my feet and headed toward the door to the hallway and exited when Natasha came out of her bathroom following behind me. I went into my room and began looking through my drawers for clothes to wear deciding on a gray tshirt, leggings and a hoodie. Going into the bathroom I shut the door behind me and began pulling off the outfit from the party, my torso was basically one giant bruise, including where I had landed on my back. I shrugged it off since it would heal quickly and it wasn’t the worst injury I’d ever endured. I pulled on the fresh set of clothes, tossing the dirty ones into the hamper in the corner. I pulled the pins out of my half ruined hairdo and shook it out pulling it over my shoulder and brushing it quickly before pulling it into a ponytail. I left the bathroom and grabbed a pair of socks before quickly slipping into a pair of sneakers.

“Alright are you sure you want to come up to the lab with everyone?” Natasha asked, “you can always just get some rest,” she tried to reassure.

“I’m alright, I’m not really tired anyway,” I answered and she gave me a wary look before giving in and exiting my room, making the trek back to the elevator to go down to the lab. We rode the elevator in silence and trekked through the halls past offices and to the lab where we found Bruce finishing checks on the computer and Tony examining one of the destroyed bots. 

“All our work is gone,” Bruce murmured in surprise, “Ultron cleared out. He used the internet as an escape hatch,” he explained. Nat went and checked another monitor looking through it, I leaned against the wall in a corner.

“Ultron,” I heard Steve mutter under his breath in disbelief.

“He’s been in everything.” Nat started turning away from the monitor, “Files, surveillance, he probably knows more about us that we know about each other,” she stated leaning back against the counter with her arms crossed over her chest. I looked around at the room, at the other members of their team, Clint seemed to be worried, more so than everyone else.

“He’s in your files, he’s in the internet,” Rhodey called out, holding his injured shoulder as he paced across the room, “What if he decides to access something a little more exciting?”

“Nuclear codes,” Maria called out from where she sat in a desk chair tending to an injury on her foot.

“Nuclear codes,” the other man agreed with a nod, “look we need to make some calls assuming we still can,” he finished it seemed to be a high plausibility, it would be the smartest move for a murderous artificial intelligence with access to the internet, go for the world ending bombs, take it all out in one go.

“Nukes?” Nat asked in disbelief, “he said he wanted us dead.”

“He didn’t say ‘dead,” Steve interrupted, I looked to him and he wasn’t looking at anyone his eyes seemed far off, “he said ‘Extinct’” he corrected. He looked in my direction then, his eyes filled with worry I looked right back trying to seem calm, like I wasn’t worried that ‘Ultron’ included me in the ‘Avengers’ and ‘Murderers’ as he called them.

“He also said he killed somebody,” Clint reminded from where he stood in the elevated entryway leaning against the railing.

“There wasn’t anyone else in the building,” Maria retorted.

“What about Jarvis?” I asked and everyone looked to me, “Tony tried talking to him when murder bot came in the room and he didn’t get an answer,” I explained with a shrug. Everyone turned to the man in question and he nodded a cynical smirk on his face.

“You stole my moment kid,” he attempted to joke but there was no weight behind it. With his ‘phone’ in his hand he walked to a clear area of the room and flicked the device sending a projection of something floating in the air, I couldn’t tell you what it was if you asked, but it was clearly destroyed beyond a point of function. Everyone’s faces were in different states of confusion and shock.

“What?” Dr. Banner whispered to himself as he approached the projection, looking into it closely, “this is insane,” he said quietly looking up at Tony who had moved to stand across from the other man.

“Jarvis was the first line of defense,” Steve stated, arms crossed tightly looking down to the floor, “he would have shut Ultron down it makes sense,” he guessed.

“No, Ultron could have assimilated Jarvis,” Bruce disagreed, “this isn’t strategy. This is,” he continued seeming to search for the right word.

“Rage,” I spoke up again, the need to destroy all too familiar still. A feeling I had felt only a few days before, only I had a much better reason to feel that way. The sound of heavy footfalls filled my ears and I turned to watch Thor approaching Tony from behind fuming in his armor. The smaller man turned as the blond approached and Thor picked him up by his throat.

“It’s going around,” Clint commented watching the scene.

“Come on use your words buddy,” Tony choked out trying to hold himself up with a grip on the ‘gods’ wrist.

“I have more than enough words to describe you, Stark,” the man spat.

“Thor!” Steve shouted his voice authoritative, “the legionnaire.” The long haired man dropped the brunette still not taking his eyes off of him as he stepped back.

“Trail went cold about 100 miles out, but it’s headed North,” he reported. “And it has the scepter,” he spit toward the smaller man. “Now we have to retrieve it, again,” he continued in frustration.

“Genie’s out of that bottle,” Natasha commented, “clear and present is Ultron.”

“I don’t understand,” Dr. Cho suddenly commented from a lab table where she was examining the broken robot pieces, “you built this program. Why is it trying to kill us?” She asked Tony. The man took in a deep breath, turning away from the rest of the group and then began laughing. Bruce looked shocked shaking his head from his spot beside the other man trying to get him to stop at everyone else’s irritated looks. 

“You think this is funny?” Thor asked.

“No?” He said like he was questioning if that was the right answer, “it’s probably not, right?” He questioned the others in the room. Steve just looked away clearly not wanting to play this game with the man. “Is this very terrible. Is it so… Is it so.. It is. It’s so terrible,” he babbled. He must be loosing his mind I think to myself.

“This could have been avoided if you hadn’t played with something you don’t understand,” Thor interrupted coming toward the other man again. 

“No. I’m sorry, I’m sorry. It is funny,” Tony states stepping toward the aproaching god as well. “It’s a hoot that you don’t get why we need this,” he continues sounding very serious now.

“Tony maybe this might not be the time,” Bruce almost singsonged sounding terrified from the space against the wall he occupied.

“Really?” Tony interrupted his partner incredulously, “that’s it? You just roll over and show your belly every time somebody snarls?” He asks.

“Only when I’ve created a murder bot,” Bruce comments back using the term I had and I giggled even though I tried to stop it they all seem to ignore me though.

“We didn’t, we weren’t even close,” Tony argues back, “Were we close to an interface?” He asks the man.

“Well you did something right, and you did it right here,” Steve interrupts, I guess deciding it was finally enough, “the Avengers were supposed to be different than S.H.E.I.L.D.”

“Anybody remember when I carried a nuke through a wormhole?” He asked

“I don’t, but I do remember when a robot you built burst through a wall and attacked me,” I answered him and he glanced back like he forgot I was there.

“It’s never come up,” Rhodey commented sarcastically.

“Saved New York?” The man asked again.

“I must have still been kidnapped by a terrorist organization when that happened,” I retorted again.

“Never heard that,” Rhodey added.

“Recall that? A hostile alien army came charging through a hole in space. We’re standing 300 feet below it. We’re the Avengers, we can bust arms dealers all the lifelong day, but that up there, that’s… That’s the endgame,” he murmured pointing toward the ceiling. “How were you guys planning on beating that?” He asked.

“Together,” Steve answered simply and I smiled. The brunette man looked at him, taking 2 steps closer.

“We’ll lose,” he retorted.

“Then we’ll do that together too,” he answered again simply, they held eye contact for a moment before Steve addressed the rest of the room, “Thor’s right, Ultron’s calling us out, and I’d like to find him before he’s ready for us. The world’s a big place lets start making it smaller,” he instructed. He stepped toward me where I was standing on the other side of the room, “go get some sleep Beck,” it was gentle not as authoritative as when he spoke to the others, but it was clear he was not leaving room for an argument. That wouldn’t stop me though.

“So you guys can leave me here by myself in the middle of the night when you go after a murderous alien, no thanks,” I retorted.

“Rebecca, we wouldn’t just leave you here without telling you,” he responded.

“But when you do go, I’m going with you,” I told him, letting him know I would argue to the end of time.

“You can’t come with us Beck, you’re a kid,” he sighed, running his hands down his face in frustration.

“A kid who’s been trained to be an assassin her whole life, I know how to handle myself Uncle Steve, I’m not technically an ‘Avenger’ but it went after me just the same as everyone else, you and I were the first ones to get hit. If you leave me here by myself whats to say ‘ultron’ won’t know and send another murder bot here to finish me off. I would be safer with you guys, plus I can help,” I argued back. He sighed again looking conflicted when Natasha cut in.

“She’s right you know, it wouldn't be safe leaving her by herself and it wouldn’t be safe for the team to leave someone behind with her,” she stated it as the fact it was.

“Well for right now we aren’t going anywhere yet, so go get some rest and we will discuss it in the morning,” Steve deflected and I rolled my eyes before walking to the exit of the lab, “goodnight Rebecca,” he called after me.

“Goodnight,” I muttered back heading toward the elevator. When I made it into my room I was still not tired. I moved to the shelf where the box my cousins had given me sat and pulled it into my arms before plopping it on my bed and pulling the lid off. I started pulling things out, separating them between journals and photo albums and tossed the now empty box into the corner, I opened the album and grabbed a photo I had seen yesterday, one of my mom and I on my fourth birthday, I pulled it out of the space in the album and leaned it against the lamp on my nightstand. I grabbed the first journal and pulled the photo of both my parents from it, leaning it next to the other one. I put the photo albums away on the book shelf sat back on my bed and picked up the first journal and began scanning through it. She started with the stories he had told her, her forward on the inside cover an afterthought when she found out the news. She wrote about her pregnancy and the progression, then it reached the day she found out who he was, her writing was sloppy and she was clearly still trying to process the news as she wrote it down then going into the research she did and talking about reaching out to his sister. The love and care she put into these entries was palpable and I wanted to cry but was still to drained from the events of the evening. I finished the first one quickly, mostly just scanning unless something caught my eye and picked another one off of the pile at random. I opened the cover and another folded page fell out. 

_ My little Becca, _

_ I hope you read this one day, that you come out on the other side of all of this unscathed and stronger. I fear what will happen to you as I saw your father, experienced the ramifications of what whoever kept him left. I know they are closing in, I have seen them watching and I want you to know that whatever happens I love you so much and I am so proud of you, no matter what happens or what path your life takes. I pray to anyone who will listen that if these people take you, your father will be with them still, and that he will still be him; that they will treat you at least like a human although I am sure that is wishful thinking, and I pray that one day you will read this letter and that Aunt Rebecca kept it safe for you until you are able to see it. I am sorry that I was not smart enough or strong enough to keep you safe from them, I wish we had just been able to leave, but by the time I realized something wasn’t right with one of the fathers at your school, when we got home, there were already strange trucks outside of our building. I just want you to know that you are my brightest sunshine on my darkest days and I hope you are able to bring some happiness to your father wherever they take you. _

_ I love you with my whole heart, _

_ Your mommy. _

I sobbed when I finished reading the letter, she had been too prepared she had thought of everything and she had faith even when she thought she was going to die that dad and I could one day read these letters. There was a knock at my door and I sniffled trying to dry the tears from my eyes but they still flowed freely.

“Rebecca, Can I come in?” a voice on the other side of the door asks, I try and identify it, i’m pretty sure it’s Clint.

“Um yeah sure,” I answered still clutching the letter in one hand and wiping my eyes with the other. He opened the door and peaked his head in before pushing it open more and rushing in, letting it close behind him.

“Hey whats the matter, huh?” He asks standing near the edge of my bed, looking at me, I can see him examining my surroundings though my tears and can tell exactly when he notices the pile of journals and the letter in my hand.

“I wasn’t tired so I decided to go through my moms journals,” I explain and he nods along, “I just found a letter she wrote to me, it caught me by surprise is all, I’m ok really,” I tell him.

“Ok, Nat told me about the box and journals,” he said soothingly before gesturing toward the bed, “do you mind if i…” he questioned, I nodded and he took a seat on the end at the corner, he looked toward the photos on the nightstand, “are those your parents?” He asked pointing toward the picture. I looked toward it and nodded picking up the photo and handing it to him. He examined it smiling.

“You look like both of them, a good mix,” he smiled nodding and handing it back to me, “now what's in that letter that’s got you so upset?” he asked.

“She just said she was proud of me no matter what, and that she loved me, it’s not really something I’ve heard all that often in my life,” I sniffled wiping away one of the last tears on my cheek.

“Well thats what parents are for, to be proud of you and love you unconditionally no matter what, and I bet wherever your dad is he feels the same way, you’re a survivor kid. You spent all that time with those people and you never drank the koolaid,” he told me and noticed my very confused look at the last part, “but let me tell you, she’s right and she should be proud of you, you wanted to help us, even after everything that happened tonight, you’re ready to jump back in and help to stand up for whats right. That takes guts kid, so get some sleep cause I’m sure we’ll be off early tomorrow once we pinpoint that hunk of junk,” he instructed as he stood and patted the top of my head before he headed to the door.

“Thank you,” I called after him and he reached for the door handle.

“Any time Becca, just let me know when you need a pep talk, anytime,” he reassured before exiting the room and closing the door behind him. I took the letter that was still in my hand and placed it inside my nightstand drawer before grabbing the remote that controlled not only the T.V. but the lights and blinds of the room since Jarvis was not there to do that for me. I put the stack of journals on the top of the nightstand and turned the lights as low as I could and closed the blinds. I could already tell that the next few days were going to be hell and I was ready for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, let me know what you think your support means everything. -R


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team and Rebecca go looking for Ultron and the twins. The team experiences the extent of Wandas tricks and Rebecca tries to comfort them.

I woke the next morning and quickly stumbled out of bed heading to the bathroom, my eyes hurt and I could feel my face was still swollen from the tears I had shed before I went to sleep. I stumbled to the sink and turned on the cold water I gathered as much as I could in my cupped hands and splashing it onto my face. I could feel the relief from my overheated skin and looked at myself in the mirror. My hair from last night was only half in its ponytail and clearly tangled, my makeup that I had not washed off forgetting about it after last nights events was smeared and coming off in patches, with a deep sigh I turned around and turned the shower on. I have absolutely no idea what time it was, but as I looked through the open bathroom door I could not see any sunlight coming through so it must still be dark out. I took down my hair, attempting to brush though it a bit without much luck and decided to worry about it later, I stripped out of the leggings and tshirt I had put on last night and stepped under the spray of the water.

After I showered I pulled on a fresh set of clothes and wandered out into the common area, I grabbed one of my nutrient shakes from the fridge before Steve could lecture me about it, whenever I saw him that is, evidently they were helping and fast at that Dr Banner had said so yesterday morning. I took it and decided to head toward Tony’s lab, see if anyone else was around maybe poke around at the robot skeleton I hadn’t decided yet. I pressed the button for the elevator and heard the whirring of the motor. The doors opened and I pressed the floor number. The Elevator began ascending quickly and stopped opening with a ding revealing the lounge still covered in shattered glass. I headed to the steps and stopped on the landing when I heard a hushed voice speaking, it stopped and no other voice joined so it must have been a phone conversation. Behind me the elevator dinged and the doors slid open and Agent Hills voice carried into the open space.

“He’s all over the globe. Robotics labs, weapons facilities, jet propulsion labs.” She stated, the sound of her heels on the hard floor coming with it, I turned around catching Steves eye who was wearing the bottom half of his suit and an undershirt, Maria paused when she met my eyes before continuing. “Reports of a metal man, or men coming in and emptying the place,” she reported as they walked up the stairs.

“Fatalities?” He asked.

“Only when engaged,” she answered before elaborating, “mostly guys left in a fugue state going on about old memories, worst fears and “something too fast to see.”

“Wanda and Pietro,” I stated as they reached where I was and continued to the next set of stairs.

“That makes sense he’d go to them. They have someone in common,” Steve stated as he ascended the stairs.

“Not anymore,” Maria stated sounding irritated by that fact pulling her tablet out from under her arm. Steve stopped at the top of the steps turning toward her and she handed him the device, I peaked at it over his arm and couldn’t help the smile that came to my face at the image of the man who had tortured me for the last year dead, although the word ‘peace’ written in his blood on the wall sent a chill down my spine. I looked up to find Maria giving me an almost frightened look and realized I was still smiling, I schooled my features and she squinted as she continued to watch me. Steve sighed bringing the tablet down to his side.

“Come on,” he murmured to me before continuing on his path, he stopped at another hallway looking to see Clint speaking on the phone in a hushed tone, “Barton, we might have something,” Steve called to the man who jumped a bit before looking out the window again.

“I gotta go,” he whispered into the phone.

“Who was that?” Steve asked.

“Girlfriend,” Clint shrugged dismissively, the answer seeming evasive. Steve didn’t notice waving the man along with us to an open work area, Natasha sat at a monitor and I rushed forward pulling up a stool and sitting next to her. Steve came in slowly handing the tablet to Thor to show him the photo.

“What’s this?” Tony asked seeing Steve had handed the device to Thor.

“A message,” Steve answered as Thor slammed the tablet into Tonys chest and I had to hold back my smirk at the blonds aggression. I watched Bruce come down from another set of stairs rushing up to the group, “Ultron killed Strucker.” Steve continued as Tony looked at the image.

“And he did a Banksy at the crime scene, just for us,” Tony was clearly joking, but I didn’t understand it.

“This is a smoke screen,” Nat stated, “Why send a message when you’ve just given a speech?” She asked the group, it was a very good point, even from a few days I knew any time she opened her mouth the words would make a point, it would never be meaningless with her.

“Strucker knew something that Ultron wanted us to miss,” Steve agreed, looking to the others to see if they had any ideas, and everyone briefly looked at me before Natasha pulled their attention away.

“Yeah, I bet he,” Nat started as she began typing on the keyboard in front of her, “Yeah everything we had on Strucker’s been erased,” she finished.

“Not everything,” he shrugged and I looked around at everyone else confused, the computer clearly had no more information on the man. Tony groaned and rolled his eyes before nodding.

“Meet us in the conference area, Becca please make sure you drink that,” Steve stated following Tony out of the space. I looked down to my still unopened shake and rolled my eyes.

“What are they getting?” I asked Nat in confusion.

“The hard copies,” she answered with a smirk, “you heard the man drink up,” she instructed and smirked at my responding eyeroll before I twisted the cap on the bottle. I finished it quickly and then followed Nat as she led us to the area where he had instructed us to meet and I sat in a wheeled chair as Tony pulled in a cart stacked with boxes. I looked around and saw a poster of Captain America telling you to buy war bonds and chuckled to myself. Steve entered followed by Thor right behind him both of their arms stacked with boxes. They set them down and began dispersing them. Steve grabbed a box bringing it to the table as Thor opened another and began pulling out files, glancing at them and throwing them across the room.

We’d been sitting here for hours I had tried to help but I didn’t know what I was looking for so I sat in my chair and spun around.

“Known associates,” Steve stated as he set down a box, “Baron Strucker had a lot of friends.” I wrinkled my nose at his statement, still folded up in the rolling chair.

“Well, these people are all horrible,” Bruce stated as he read through a file, I let out a single barking laugh, it startled him and his head snapped toward me.

“Well they were friends with someone who participated in illegal human experimentation for fun,” I reminded him, of course they weren't good people. I noticed Tony looking toward the file in Bruce’s hand as he went to close it.

“Wait, I know that guy,” Tony called reaching his hand toward Bruce, “back in the day he operated off the african coast, black market arms,” Tony stated and Steve gave him an exasperated look, as Tony handed a photo of the man to Thor, “There are conventions all right? You meet people,” Tony defended. “I didn’t sell him anything,” he reassured. “He was talking about finding something new, a game changer, it was all very Ahab,” Tony rambled.

“This?” Thor asked and I stood looking over his shoulder where he pointed at a mark on the mans neck.

“Ah, it’s a tattoo, I don’t think he had it,” Tony shrugged.

“No,” Thor disagreed, “those are tattoo’s,” he gestured to the markings further up his neck, “this is a brand,” he pointed back to the area he had been referring to. Bruce got up, moving to one of the monitors and pulling up the mans file, starting an image search on the brand. Everyone waited as the computer scanned through images on a database. It finally dinged and everyone looked toward the man in anticipation.

“Oh yeah,” Bruce started, “It’s a word in an African dialect meaning ‘theif’” he stated looking back at the group. “In a much less friendly way,” he added.

“What dialect?” Steve asked. Bruce looked back at the monitor squinting.

“Wakanada,” he stated unsure, before blinking and looking more closely, “Wakanda,” he tried again looking at the others again. It sounded familiar, I couldn’t tell why though. Tony and Steve both looked at each other quickly in disbelief.

“If this guy got out of Wakanda with some of their trade goods…” Tony mumbled tensely.

“I thought your father said he got the last of it,” Steve retorted.

“I don’t follow, what comes out of Wakanda?” Bruce asked coming back over to the group.Steve looked behind him, I followed his gaze to where his shield sat propped against a cabinet.

“The strongest metal on Earth,” Tony answered. Steve looked back to Tony.

“Where is this guy now?” He asked and Tony nodded pulling the file back out. “Are you still set on going with us?” He asked turning to me I nodded, I was going especially if the twins were involved now, “alright, I had Maria get some gear for you, what kind of weapons are you trained with?” He asked seriously.

“I’m trained with anything, I like knives the best though,” I answered with a shrug and both Steve and Natasha gave me an odd look that I couldn’t pin.

“Lets suit up the sooner we go the better, Nat can you help her with weapons,” Steve instructed nodding toward me. Nat waved me along and we walked down the stairs to the level of the landing pad where I had originally entered the tower only a few days ago, we went through a small side door I hadn’t noticed before into a sort of ‘locker room’ she pointed to a small alcove where there were a few different options of clothes. The first thing I noticed was a catsuit like the one Natasha would wear, that was a NO, I spotted a pair of tac pants and a utility jacket and grabbed them, I picked up the body armor that would go underneath and headed into one of the changing areas as Nat began changing into her normal catsuit. I pulled on the armor and boots, throwing the jacket over my shoulders without zipping it and stepped back out where I tossed my discarded clothes in the alcove following Nat to a weapons case she opened it and gestured for me to take my pick.

We dropped from the jet onto a run down freighter ship, it seemed we may have been a bit behind, everyone had already cleared out, there were no guards, no one. I was told to stay near Nat. We were on an upper deck to get an overhead view of the fight and help when needed. I could hear voices, the familiar mechanical one seemed to be getting louder with agitation.

“Don’t compare me with Stark!” Ultron shouted, I heard a man shout and a tumbling sound, “Its a thing with me, Stark is… He’s a sickness!” He shouted and Thor and Steve Stepped through a doorway, Tony floating down from above.

“Ah Junior,” Tony announced himself as he came in to land, “You’re gonna break your old mans heart,” Tony taunted as he landed on the metal walkway with a clank. I watched from above as Ultron turned toward them and straighted, the twins stood just behind him, Pietro tossed something to the ground and Wanda straightened.

“If I have to,” the now much larger bot retorted.

“Nobody has to break anything,” Thor Stated trying to placate the bot.

“Clearly you’ve never made an omlette,” Ultron retorted.

“He beat me by one second,” Tony joked.

“Ah yes, he is funny,” I heard Pietros voice, and felt a twinge of pain in my chest as he stepped forward, “Mr. Stark, it’s what? Comfortable?” he asked gesturing to the weapons surrounding them. I had almost forgotten about their grudge against the Stark name, “like old times,” Pietro commented.

“This was never my life,” Tony told him solemnly.

“You two can still walk away from this,” Steve called to the twins stepping up, closer to Tony. I smiled at his offer, from what I had learned in just a few days, it was very Steve of him.

“Oh we will,” I heard Wanda coo sarcastically to him and I ground my teeth.

“I know you’ve suffered,” he tried again, but Ultron interrupted him with a noise of disgust.

“Captain America,” the machine chuckled, “god's righteous man, pretending you could live without a war,” it taunted, “I can’t physically throw up in my mouth, but…”

“If you believe in peace then let us keep it,” Thor interrupted. This was all wishful thinking clearly but still I watched on from above.

“I think you’re confusing ‘peace’ with ‘quiet’,” the bot retorted.

“Uh-huh,” Tony answered noncommittal, “what's the vibranium for?” he asked finally getting to the point.

“I’m glad you asked that because I wanted to take this time to explain my evil plan,” Ultron stated casually before activating some sort of energy weapon and 2 other bots dropped from above attacking Thor and Steve. I watched as Tony and Ultron began to go head to head crashing into almost all of the walls. I noticed Pietro flash away pushing Thor as he went. Steve tried to go for Wanda and was immediately blasted back by her. I heard the sound of footsteps coming toward us, they were human, so probably belonging to the mercenaries henchman, I looked to Nat.

“They’re coming,” I told her as gunfire sounded from below. We tagteamed as 3 men came into the room, I threw one against the far wall as Nat wrapped another into a chokehold and flipped him on his back. I kicked another in the guy as he approached and turned to look over the railing again at the scene below just in time to watch the blur of Pietro run by and evidently punch Steve in the face by the way he fell. I watched Wanda disappear around the corner and knew she was up to her tricks. I heard the sound of more men coming our way and turned helping Nat take them down.

“Thor, Status,” I heard commanded through the com from Steve.

“The girl tried to warp my mind,” came Thors answer, “take special care, I doubt a human could keep her at bay,” he continued through the com in my ear. 

Moments later I heard a crash down below and looked to see Pietro standing over Steve, I saw Wanda come down the stairs Steve had landed against and without a second thought I launched myself over the railing. I was too late she had already invaded his mind but she looked up at me in slight shock and mild annoyance when I landed in front of them. She straightened and went to back away and I pulled a knife from one of the sheaths on my side.

“Come back here you bitch,” I hissed taking a step closer to her as she hesitated for a moment in her retreat, “not as fun now that I’m not in a cage,” I shouted and suddenly I was grabbed around the waist and felt as if I was flying through the air, “PIETRO PUT ME DOWN!” I shouted in rage and we were already stopped by the time I finished the sentence. He grabbed my com out of my ear and crushed it under his foot.

“ _ Tsvetok, _ what are you doing with these monsters,” Pietro questioned me, “I thought you were dead, or hurt, I even hoped you had gotten away,” he whispered cupping my face in his hands and stroking my cheeks with his thumbs.

“Monsters?” I asked incredulously, “i’m sorry but Strucker is- was a monster,” I corrected, “Captain America, Steve is my father's best friend and my best hope at finding my dad again, he took me with him in Sokovia, no questions asked and gave me a place to stay and food to eat and bought me far too many clothes to wear, they are not the monsters here,” I seethed.

“Why are you here, stay out of this fight, be safe, why would he make you come,” He asked quickly.

“I wanted to come, he begged me to stay back but  **_I_ ** know that I can take care of myself.” I answered sharply not backing down, staring into his eyes suddenly he leaned forward and his lips were on mine, I froze in shock i mean this wasn’t the first time it had happened, but at the moment we were on completely opposite sides of what would most likely turn out to be some sort of war. By the time I finished thinking the kiss was over and he had pulled away resting his forehead against mine.

“Please stay out of this Rebecca, I need you to be safe,” he whispered, pleading with me. I had enough and pushed him away from me.

“Not a chance, that  _ thing, _ tried to kill me last night, burst through the wall and in a room full of ‘Avengers’, the people it wants to destroy, to take down, it went after me first, after making a whole speech about killers, I have never killed anyone, but it went after me first, even today, the men I helped take down, they aren’t dead,” I growled trying to get through to him that he was on the wrong side of this that what Ultron said he wanted and what he actually wanted were two different things.

“So this is revenge,” he scoffed.

“I could say the same to you,” I raged back. He looked at our surroundings and quickly back to me.

“I have to go, please, stay safe stay back don’t fight,” he begged before leaning forward again, I reached up punching him in the jaw, not having any more of that at the moment. He looked at me, hurt before speeding away leaving me somewhere in a back room of this freighter ship. I started running back the way we had come from and rushed around crates of weapons and missiles. Everything seemed to have quieted down there was no more gunfire as I ran through the ship and made it back to the center.

“Rebecca Status!” I heard shouting suddenly, it was Clint and he was starting to panic, “Tony,” he started and I interrupted.

“Hey! I’m good, sorry Pietro decided to mess with me and carried me off to the other side of the ship, he broke my com,” I shouted so he could hear me as I came around another stack of crates and saw Steve laid on the floor, staring into nothing.

“Uncle Steve,” I called sliding over to him on my knees, he groaned and tried to push himself up so he was sitting but fell back onto the ground, “hey, just relax, it sucks I know, just try not to look too deep into it,” I told him and he nodded weakly.

“We’ve got a situation with the Hulk guys, we gotta move out as soon as possible,” Clint called to me again.

“Thor?” I called out.

“Yes I am here young Rebecca,” he called back weakly, clearly Wanda had had some fun.

“She get Nat too?” I asked loudly.

“Yeah… yeah she did,” Clint answered, he sounded concerned.

“She’ll be ok, the first time it happens is always the worst,” I tried to reassure him, “she didn’t get you?” I asked.

“I’ve done the mind control before, it wasn’t happening again,” he answered, I looked down toward Steve confused and he just stared at me.

“Think you can get up yet?” I asked, he nodded so I grabbed him by the wrist as I stood and pulled him up with me, letting him wrap his arm around my shoulder and use it as support, “I’m taking Steve to the jet, I’ll be back to help,” I called.

“I’m good, I’m up now,” Steve murmured, “go help Nat or Thor,” he instructed.

“Are you sure? First time she did that to me it absolutely kicked my ass, I could barely move for hours. Of course it was before my extra enhancements,” I told him ducking out from under his arm and holding my hands out making sure he didn’t fall. He seemed alright, I noticed his shield laying on the ground and I picked it up handing it to him, he grabbed it and attached it to the harness on his back. I walked toward the stairs watching as he slowly stumbled away, I climbed the steps and saw Thor down the walkway on all fours panting a bit.

“Hey Thor, let me help you up, Clint said there’s a situation with Dr. Banner and we need to be on the jet ready to go,” I explained holding out my hand, he reached up and grabbed it and I pulled, he was somehow much heavier than Steve and I had to grasp his forearm with my other hand as well. He stumbled a bit and I put my hands up to keep him from falling, once he steadied himself I pulled my hands away and watched as he bent down to retrieve his weapon before straightening and taking a few experimental steps. He seemed fine as he began to make his way out of the ship so I grabbed the railing of a staircase and climbed to the upper level where Natasha and Clint sat. She was clearly still lost in what she had seen and I had made up my mind, I was going to kill Wanda Maximoff, she had gone too far and she hurt people I have started to care about, people who care about me.

“I’ve got her,” I stated to Clint, stooping down to sit on the step next to her and wrapping her arm over my shoulders, I stood, trying to get her to stand and use me as support, it was clearly not going to work so I scooped my free arm under her knees and lifted her easily, Clint was looking at me like I was insane, “come on we’ve got to get back to the jet,” I told him walking down the stairs and toward the exit.

Everyone sat silently on the jet, all in their own heads other than Clint, Tony and I who sat observing the others while Clint piloted the jet. Something began ringing like a phone and Tony pressed a button, Maria’s voice filling the jet.

“The news is loving you guys, nobody else is. There’s been no official call for Banner’s arrest, but it’s in the air,” she reported and I looked to the man sitting on the floor in the back of the jet. It wasn’t his fault, hell her mind tricks made me do crazy shit too.

“The Stark Relief foundation?” Tony asked quietly from where he sat.

“Already on the scene, how’s the team?” Maria asked.

“Everyone’s…” he started looking around, “We took a hit, we’ll shake it off,” he told her.

“Well for now, I’d stay in stealth mode,” she instructed, “And stay away from here.”

“So run and hide,” Tony guessed, leaning forward and I noticed Marias face on a small screen near where he sat.

“Until we can find Ultron, I don’t have a lot else to offer,” she murmured sadly.

“Neither do we,” Tony sighed looking around the jet and I gave him a tense smile when our eyes met. He ended the call and stood from his spot walking toward where Clint was piloting. “Hey do you wanna switch out?” he asked the man

“No I’m good, if you wanna get some kip, nows a good time, because we’re still a few hours out,” he answered.

“Few hours from where?” Tony asked confused and I looked toward them wondering where we were going since Maria made it clear we weren’t going to the tower.

“A safe house,” he answered simply. I sat down next to Natasha and across from Steve.

“It wasn’t real you know,” I said loud enough for everyone to hear, “whatever she showed you, whether it was a memory from the past twisted into a nightmare, or a picture of a bleak and desolate future, it wasn’t real. They can make you do messed up things, I know you saw what I did, that was her, it always was.” I wrapped my arms around myself, cold and feeling vulnerable in the jet.

“She used to make me see the night I was taken, every night, I had to watch as my own father killed my mom, and then instead of him grabbing me by the arm and taking me away, he picked me up like a rag doll and slit my throat, it wasn’t real and thats not what happened but it feels like it could have, or it should have,” I continued wringing my hands together. There was a hand on my shoulder and I looked to see Nat giving me her best attempt at a smile, it was weak but it was something, Steve reached over and patted my knee giving me a nod and a halfhearted smile that I returned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another week another chapter. Are you surprised by her and Pietro? Or did you see it coming? Let me know what you think and I’ll see you next week.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting clints family and chaos in Seoul

I jolted awake when the jet started descending, not sure when I had dozed off I looked around and everyone seemed to be in mostly the same state I had remembered, although the effects were beginning to wear off they were all still lost in the visions they had seen. I stood and approached the pilot seat looking out the window of the plane to see we were landing in a bank of trees but I could see a field and a farmhouse just beyond the tree line. Clint set the jet down in the grass and began opening the ramp as he shut everything down, I looked back at the others and they all looked just as confused. I grabbed my small bag as everyone began to get up from where they were, Clint got out of the pilot’s seat and helped Nat out of hers before leading everyone down the ramp.

“Where are we?” I whispered to Steve walking beside him. 

“No clue,” he mumbled back looking around just as confused as I was.

“I’ll need to text Cici and let her know I’m not going to be at dinner tomorrow, or today? What day is it?” I asked pulling my phone out of my small bag, Sunday morning. We were coming up a path onto a dirt driveway next to a broken down barn. Clint led Natasha onto the porch of the farmhouse and everyone followed behind.

“What is this place?” Thor asked Tony as they stepped onto the porch.

“Safe house,” Tony answered although he sounded confused.

“Let’s hope,” Thor retorted as Clint opened the door and led Nat inside. I followed behind between Steve and Bruce as everyone stepped in.

“Honey?” Clint called as he stepped into a sitting room, I looked toward Steve confused, typically safe houses didn’t have permanent residents, “I’m home!” He continued as we all followed behind into the sitting room. A brunette woman came around the corner into the connected kitchen looking shocked to see so many people.

“Hi,” he said to the woman a bit sheepishly, I looked around at everyone else but they looked as confused as I felt, “company, sorry I didn’t call ahead,” he said to the woman.

“Hey,” she whispered before leaning forward and kissing him.

“This is an agent of some kind,” Tony said in disbelief.

“Gentleman, Becca, this is Laura,” Clint introduced.

“I know all of your names,” Laura chuckled before meeting my eyes and giving me a warm smile. The sound of footsteps came from the stairs and I jumped looking toward the loud noise.

“Oh. Incoming,” Clint said and stepped toward the doorway as two children ran through, the little girl barreling into his awaiting arms.

“Dad!” She shouted.

“Hi sweetheart,” Clint said picking the girl up and wrapping his free arm around the older boy, “Hey buddy.” Everyone was looking at them very confused as he spoke to the children, I just felt a sharp pain in my heart watching the moment thinking of the one thing that was missing from my life now.

“These are smaller agents,” Tony stated, uncomfortable with being out of the loop.

“Did you bring auntie Nat?” The small girl asked and I looked over to see Nat perking up for the first time since Wanda got ahold of her.

“Why don’t you hug her and find out?” She asked, stepping out from behind Steve. The girl jumped into her arms and the redhead squeezed her in a tight hug.

“Sorry for barging in,” Steve said, ever the gentleman.

“Yeah we would have called ahead, but we were busy having no idea that you existed,” Tony snipped.

“Yeah, well Fury helped me set this up when I joined,” Clint explained, “he kept it out of Shields files and I’d like to keep it that way. I figured it’s a good place to lay low,” he continued his arms around Laura and the boy. Thor stepped around Steve and crushed some sort of toy. I looked down at it and back up at him as he kicked it under the sofa. I looked to Steve who seemed to have some sort of emotional storm happening in his head as I heard Natasha ask Laura about the baby. I wonder if his reaction had anything to do with what Wanda showed him, now was definitely not the time to ask though.

A toaster popped and Thor suddenly marched out of the house, Steve following behind him, I decided it would be best to try and help as everyone was still troubled by Wanda’s tricks and followed them both out the door.

“Thor?” Steve called out.

“I saw something in that dream, I need answers, I won’t find them here,” He stated.

“It’s not real, she’s just taking your worst fear and manipulating it, showing it to you in the worst way,” I called out to him from the porch.

“I need to be sure,” he stated before swinging his weapon and flying off into the air. I looked at Steve and he just looked slightly concerned and defeated. He turned to go back inside, taking a step before freezing.

“It isn’t real, it can take a while, for it to stop,” I tried to reassure him. I knew what was happening, he was hearing something, or someone, he just nodded and sighed before turning around and walking off. I walked back in when Laura said something about us all getting cleaned up.

_ I couldn’t move, I was standing it was dark and I couldn’t see anything around me, I turned my head and saw the transparent red bands around my arms and legs before I heard a chuckle. I looked up and saw Wanda come out of the shadows, her eyes and hands glowed as she held me in place. I could feel my heart pounding. A streak of blue wrapped around us and I could feel Pietro’s presence behind me when the blue glow stopped and I calmed. _

_ “Pietro, make her stop, whats happening,” I told him, he would help me, he always did. Wanda was looking at him over my shoulder and she grinned. The blue glow reappeared and he stood next to Wanda. _

_ “Why would I help you tsvetok, you betrayed me,” he murmured darkly. My heart felt like it would leap out of my chest and I still couldn’t move. _

_ “I didn’t betray you Pietro there was nothing to betray, what are you talking about,” I begged, I could feel tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. He appeared directly in front of me suddenly. _

_ “It’s too bad you chose the wrong side Vesna,” He whispered before grabbing me by my head and snapping my neck. _

I shot up gasping for air, I looked around at my surroundings, the unfamiliar room of mismatched furniture not helping me.

“Hey, you alright?” A voice asked from behind me, I turned and found Clint standing in the doorway of the sitting room I had evidently fallen asleep in.

“Yeah…” I started before taking a deep breath, “um, yeah I just had a bad dream,” I answered rubbing my temples between my fingers, “I must have dozed off sitting here.”

“Well, you want to help me fix something?” He asked, pointing toward the front door.

“Ah, sure why not,” I answered, rubbing my hands down the legs of the jeans I was wearing and standing from the vintage sofa. I followed him out onto the porch and he showed me a few boards that needed to be replaced or repaired before going to fix the railing with his son. Steve and Tony were both working on chopping wood from a large pile in the grass and Tony began asking about Thor. Tony started prodding Steve on what Wanda had shown him and how he seemed to be doing just fine compared to the others, which wasn’t true, it was only what he wanted them to think. Steve began snapping back about Tony creating Ultron without telling them. It seemed to be calming down, other than Steve ripping a log apart in his hands, when Laura interrupted them.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Stark, Clint said you wouldn’t mind but our tractor doesn’t seem to want to start at all. I thought maybe you might,” she started when Tony interrupted.

“Yeah I’ll give her a kick,” He answered before looking at Steve, then around at the wood piles, “don’t take from my pile,” Tony joked before walking off toward the barn. I rolled my eyes and continued working on the board I had been replacing. I finished securing the screw when Clint approached me.

“Hey do you know anything about engines?” He asked me and I looked up at him from where I was crouched over my work.

“I know how to hotwire a car and not leave any prints behind,” I answered with a shrug.

“You know what, good enough, Tony might be able to use the help, I can finish this up,” he nodded and I frowned at him before standing to go to the barn.

“Hang on, you can do what now?” Steve called after me as I climbed down the far set of steps.

“Had to be able to get away without getting caught, it was in one of my lessons, can’t talk now gotta help Tony!” I shouted before running off across the gravel path to the barn. As I approached I heard Tony's voice.

“And I’m the man who killed the avengers. I saw it, I didn’t tell the team. How could I?” He rambled, although it didn’t seem to be to himself, “I saw them all dead, Nick. I felt it,” he continued, to ‘Nick’ whoever that was, “the whole world too.” He finished, Wanda must have gotten to him too, although I wasn’t sure when, he hadn’t been in the ship with the rest of us, he was fighting Ultron and The Hulk. I pulled open the barn door and stepped in.

“She can’t see the future, only into your mind. I don’t know how many times I have to say this before you all finally listen to me,” I rolled my eyes walking through the barn toward the large tractor, “she is taking your worst fear and manipulating it, showing you the worst possible outcome of that fear,” I stated simply, walking around the corner and coming to a stop when I saw a man with an eyepatch sitting on a stack of boxes.

“The kids right, the Maximoff girl is working you Stark,” The man with the eyepatch agreed, folding his hands together, resting his elbows on his knees.

“I wasn’t tricked, I was shown,” he argued, “It wasn’t a nightmare, it was my legacy. The end of the path I started us on.”

“Every night for a  **_YEAR_ ** I was shown my father killing me when I was 5, or me being strapped to the chair and having my brain scrambled by electricity,” I retorted, “but I’m not 5, and now I’m here and not with HYDRA anymore. I was around this girl for a year, she can read your every thought and invade your head, but she can’t see the future.” The other man nodded as he stood.

“You come up with some pretty impressive inventions Tony, war isn’t one of them.” The man stated although I wasn’t sure exactly what he meant.

“I watched my friends die. You think that’d be as bad as it gets right?” the brunette asked sarcastically. “Nope it wasn’t the worst part,” he scoffed.

“The worst part, is that you didn’t,” ‘Nick’ finished for him, I looked between the two still not sure who exactly this man was, although his conversation with Tony seemed to be at its end now and he turned to me, “Rebecca Barnes, my name is Nick Fury and I just wanted to say it is a pleasure to finally meet you,” the man told me stepping forward toward where I was leaned against the wheel of the tractor.

“I suppose I might say the same if I had any idea who you are,” I answered furrowing my brows in confusion, the man seemed to think this was amusing and let out a short barking laugh.

“Well, I was the director of S.H.E.I.L.D. before it was destroyed when it was revealed that Hydra had it’s claws deep in our ranks,” he stated leaning against a workbench.

“What exactly are you now?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

“An old man who cares about every member of the Avengers like my own family,” he answered my question seriously.

“So you’re making sure I’m not just reporting everything happening back to the wonder twins?” I asked flatly.

“No, actually I’m here to apologize for not being able to help you, or your mother when she needed it,” he answered again using a much softer tone and I felt my heart clench even though I had no idea what he meant. I just stared at him and he finally continued, “in 1997 a very scared pregnant woman approached me while I was eating lunch at a diner. I have no idea how she knew who I was, and at the time she never told me her name. She told me about how she had helped a man who had no memories and let him stay with her, that she fell in love with the man who had a metal arm and was pregnant with his child and he had disappeared the day she found out. That she found out who the man was but it was impossible and she didn’t believe it but knew it was true and needed help. I thought she was a little crazy, but I’ve heard crazier things that were true, I was going to ask her to tell me more, when one of the men on my security detail noticed her and started to approach and she got spooked and ran off. I would have looked for her but I had nothing to go on but my memory and didn’t want to involve more people than necessary. The other day, I learned that you had been retrieved from a hydra base and your mother, who was killed when you were kidnapped was the woman I had seen in the diner all those years ago.”

“So you wanted to apologize for your conscience?” I asked furrowing my brow the man was confusing and apparently could have stopped the things that happened to me but didn’t.

“No not particularly, but I wanted to tell you I think you will do great things, you’ve got a fire in you and even after years of captivity it burns, now you’ve got a taste of freedom and a choice and you’re making the right one,” he stated, no emotion behind it, it was a simple fact to him.

“Well I’ve never had one, but I knew what they wanted from me wasn’t right,” I told him, I didn’t need praises for this.

“What exactly is it that Hydra wanted from you?” He asked trying to fein casual curiosity. There it is I think to myself, my purpose with Hydra, there is the real reason he wanted to speak with me.

“My ORIGINAL purpose was to be the next handler of the Winter Soldier, the person who would control him. After he escaped, my purpose became to replace him, which I would not do willingly so they were going to turn my brain into scrambled eggs,” I answered with a sneer, “now is this tractor actually broken or can I go now?” I asked pointing my thumb toward the door before turning my head toward Tony who dropped the wrench he was pretending to clean and climbed onto the tractor before attempting to start it up, which it did just fine. I nodded before stalking out of the barn away from the men.

“She’s certainly got a fire,” Fury commented after I shut the door behind me and stalked toward the house.

“Aren’t you helping fix the tractor?” Steve asked as I climbed the porch steps.

“Wasn’t broken,” I snapped, looking toward him and receiving a confused look in return before he looked back toward the barn when he noticed movement and saw Fury exiting behind Tony. I dropped myself onto a bench on the porch with a huff and Steve nodded in understanding.

“Hey, guys we’re getting dinner started, we can talk more after we eat,” Clint called out the door and I nodded.

I sat at the table across from Natasha most of the others stood around the kitchen and Laura and Clint sat on the sofa watching the kids paint at the coffee table. Tony was over playing at a dart board. Everyone looked to Fury as he started talking while making himself a snack.

“Ultron took you folks out of play to buy himself time, my contacts all say he’s building something,” he explained as Clint's daughter ran around the table and handed a painting to Natasha, “The amount of vibranium he made off with, I don’t think it’s just one thing.”

“What about Ultron himself?” Steve asked.

“Oh, he’s easy to track. He’s everywhere,” he answered, “the guy is multiplying faster than a catholic rabbit,” he joked and I looked at Steve confused by the joke but he was looking at Clint as he passed into the kitchen. “It still doesn’t help us get an angle on any of his plans though.”

“Is he still going after launch codes?” Tony asked quickly, not looking away from the dart board.

“Yes he is, but he’s not making any headway.” Fury answered.

“I cracked the Pentagon’s firewall in high school on a dare,” Tony commented incredulously looking through the window into the kitchen.

“Well I contacted our friends at the Nexus about that,” Fury started not looking up from the sandwich he was making himself.

“Nexus?” I asked looking around Steve looked just as confused.

“It’s the world internet hub in Oslo,” Bruce explained, “every Byte of data flows through there, fastest access on earth.”

“So what’d they say?”Clint asked, picking up a dart as Tony walked toward the board to remove the others.

“He’s fixated on the missiles, but the codes are constantly being changed,” Fury explained.

“By whom?” Tony asked looking away from the dart board when Clint decided to throw his dart which flew right past Tony’s face into the bullseye and I couldn’t help but laugh, Clint looked at me and smiled before turning back to Fury.

“Parties unknown,” Fury answered, looking annoyed at Clint's antics as well as the answer not being found.

“Do we have an ally?” Natasha asked, raising a brow at him.

“Ultron’s got an enemy. That’s not the same thing,” he corrected. “Still I’d pay folding money to know who it is,” he commented.

“I might need to visit Oslo,” Tony stated, “find our unknown.”

“Well this is good times, boss but I was kinda hoping when I saw you you’d have more than that,” Natasha commented with a smirk.

“I do, I have you,” he answered, gesturing to the people standing around the kitchen, “back in the day I had eyes everywhere, ears everywhere else. You kids had all the tech you could dream up,” Fury lamented. “Here we all are back on earth with nothing but our wit and our will to save the world,” he continued coming to sit at the end of the table.

“Ultron says the Avengers are the only thing between him and his mission, and whether or not he admits it, his mission is global destruction,” Fury spoke standing at the end of the dining table looking around at each member of the team. “All this laid in a grave,” he continued gesturing to the room, “so stand outwit the platinum bastard,” he finished sitting in the chair.

“Steve doesn’t like that kind of talk,” Nat commented looking at Steve over my head.

“Ya know what Romanoff,” he commented back and she smirked at him. This joke was getting old to me, from stories my dad would tell Steve cursed like a sailor especially during the war.

“So what does he want?” Fury asked looking around the room again.

“To be better than them,” I answered, gesturing around the room to the superheroes.

“He keeps building bodies,” Steve added.

“Person Bodies,” Tony corrected, “the human form is inefficient biologically speaking we’re outmoded, but he keeps coming back to it,” Tony continued and Bruce caught sight of the painting laying on the table I watched as he approached it deep in thought.

“When you two programmed him to protect the human race, you amazingly failed,” Natasha informed him.

“But they don’t need to be protected,” I pointed out from what Tony said.

“They need to evolve,” Bruce explained, “Ultron’s going to evolve.”

“How?” Fury asked, setting down his glass of tea.

“Has anyone been in contact with Helen Cho?” He asked everyone and I looked at him horrified.

“The doctor from when Clint was hurt and the party?” I asked and Bruce nodded. She had amazing technology, I knew that from seeing Clint be healed from his injury, but could she really create a whole working body?

“Suit up everyone,” Steve demanded and we all got up from our places and went to get into our gear.

I was leaving the bathroom after changing into my gear and I could hear Steve and Tony talking downstairs.

“I’ll take Natasha, Clint and Rebecca,” Steve informed Tony.

“Strictly recon,” Tony muttered, “I’ll hit the nexus, I’ll join you as soon as I can,” the brunette continued. I started down the stairs and saw them entering the foyer.

“If Ultron’s really building a body,” Steve began, trailing off.

“He’ll be more powerful than any of us,” Tony finished, “maybe all of us, an android designed by a robot.”

“You know I really miss the days when the weirdest thing science ever created was me,” Steve told him.

“Aw really Uncle Steve am I that bad?” I asked sarcastically jumping down from the stairs into the foyer. He looked at me and opened his mouth to say something but Fury came in pulling his coat on interrupting him.

“I’ll drop Banner off at the tower. You mind if I borrow Miss Hill?” He asked tony.

“She’s all yours, apparently,” Tony snapped back.

“What are you gonna do?” Steve asked.

“I don’t know. Something dramatic I hope,” he told the men before walking to the door and I smiled, dramatics definitely seemed like the man's strong suit. We headed to the jet in the alcove of trees and took off into the dusk.

We were flying above Seoul and quickly approaching Dr. Cho’s office. We dropped Steve onto a roof so he could approach inconspicuously without the jet. I was pacing in the back of the jet as Clint piloted and Natasha monitored coms and scans.

“Dr. Cho!” Steve's voice came through the speakers of the jet through the com.

“He’s uploading himself into the body,” Cho’s voice came through and I paced the floor of the jet.

“Where?” I heard him question. It was silent for a few moments.

“The real power is inside the Cradle,” she told him suddenly, “the gem, its power is uncontainable, you can't just blow it up. You have to get the cradle to Stark.” She instructed.

“First I have to find it,” Steve's voice came through the speakers again. “Did you guys copy that?” He asked after a few moments. I stopped my pacing and leaned against the back of Natasha’s chair where she was looking for information.

“We did,” Clint answered.

“I’ve got a private jet taking off across town,” Nat informed him, “no manifest, that could be him,” she continued and I felt the jet slow, I looked at Clint to see him trying to get a better look at something below us and stepped toward the front.

“There, it’s a truck from the lab,” Clint nodded pointing when I came up from behind him, “Right above you Cap. On the loop by the bridge,” he explained. I pressed a button he pointed to and watched a thermal scan appear on the screen. 

“It’s them, three with the Cradle, one in the cab,” I called out.

“I could take out the driver,” Clint suggested fiddling with some controls.

“Negative, that truck crashes, the gem could level the city,” Steve called, “we need to draw out Ultron.” He instructed. I saw him standing on a ramp of some sort and watched as he jumped onto the top of the truck. I kept watching as he climbed to the doors before being blasted into the air by an energy weapon and hung onto the door as it was being dragged down the street by the large truck.

“Well he’s definitely unhappy,” Steve shouted over the sound of traffic and scraping of the trailer door. “I’m gonna try and keep him that way,” he called out.

“You’re not a match for him Cap,” Clint commented seriously and I laughed even though the situation was serious.

“Thanks Barton,” Steve sighed. We came down from our birds eye of the fight to approach from behind. We heard the sounds of the fight through the com and I placed my com in my ear as Nat and I got ready to disembark. We climbed onto the bike, Nat securing herself on with her suit and I climbed on behind her.

“We’ve got a window, four, three,” Clint called, “give him hell,” he instructed and hit a button, the floor opening beneath us and the bike dropping onto the street. We weaved through traffic and rows of cars when we spotted the shield laying in the street.

“I’m always picking up after you boys,” Nat commented, “grab that,” she instructed me and I leaned over and snatched it from the ground as we flew past, slipping my arm into the straps.

“They’re heading under the overpass. I’ve got no shot,” he informed us.

“Which way?” Nat asked, still weaving through traffic.

“Hard right,” he informed us simply.

“Hold on tight,” she warned me and I wrapped my right arm around her as it was the one not strapped into the shield.

“Now,” Clint called and Nat made the turn cutting in front of several cars. We cut through the narrow street before taking an even smaller alleyway. When we came out on the other side I grabbed on as we skidded under the semi, coming out on the other side I threw the shield up to where Steve was hanging over the edge. It snapped into place and he hit Ultron in the ‘face’ causing him to lose his grip and let Steve free. In retaliation the robot pulled up a piece of the road in front of the bike making Nat and I slam on the brakes. We got going again and the bots inside the trailer began firing out the back at us. She cut across heading up a set of stairs, people jumping out of the way. 

“Clint can you draw out the guards,” she requested as we crossed the footbridge and headed down the stairs on the other side.

“Let’s find out,” he answered. We crossed the sidewalk pedestrians jumping out of our way and headed down a ramp trying to catch up with the truck.

“They’re heading back towards you, so whatever you’re gonna do, do it now,” Clint called.

“I’m going in, Cap can you keep him occupied?” She asked as we approached the truck.

“What do you think I’ve been doing?” He asked out of breath.

“Need help?” I offered. Nat nodded and pulled closer to the train where Ultron and Steve were fighting and I jumped onto the side to climb into the car. I got to a spot between cars and watched as Nat stood on the bike before jumping into the back of the truck, the bike crashing into another vehicle. I pried open the door to the car and stepped in. 

“Okay package is airborne, I have a clean shot,” Clint called through the coms as I raced through the train to find Steve and Ultron.

“Negative I am still in the truck,” I heard Nat answer.

“Why the hell are you-” he started

“Just be ready,” she snapped back, “I’m sending the package to you,” she instructed hurriedly.

“How do you want me to take it?” Clint asked.

“Uh, you might wish you hadn’t asked that,” she answered playfully. I opened the door to another train car and spotted Ultron with Steve pushed up against the side as he tried to block his hits with the shield and was ready to charge at him when I saw a streak of blue come up behind me and shove the bot away. Pietro appeared at the other end of the car as Ultron turned toward him and I was confused. Suddenly metal came from the ceiling coated in a familiar red glow blocking Ultron in. I jumped and spun around finding Wanda standing in the doorway of the train car.

“Please don’t do this,” Ultron begged when he looked at Wanda.

“What choice do we have?” She asked, her hands still glowing red. Ultron turned back around raising its arm and firing its weapon toward Pietro through the front of the train. I nearly shrieked but saw he ducked out of the way just in time. He had managed to destroy the controls and he turned pushing the door off the train car and flying away.

“We lost him!” Steve shouted through the coms jumping over the barrier Wanda had made. I followed going to see if we could still stop the train but saw the conductor laying dead over the burned controls, “he’s headed your way!” Steve finished. Alarms from the control panel were blaring and I saw the end of the tracks quickly approaching. We crashed through the barrier and I grabbed onto the control panel to keep steady as the train squealed against concrete and crashed through wooden crates and cars.

“Cap you see Nat?” Clint's question came through the com. My heart skipped a beat and I looked toward Steve with wide eyes.

“If you have the package get it to Stark!” Steve barked looking through the side window of the train and I flinched, “Go!” He added.

“Do you have eyes on Nat?” He demanded again and I looked toward Steve in fear as he turned and stormed out of the control room and toward the twins.

“Go!” He shouted again, and I followed behind him, Steve looked forward out the hole in the front and back at Pietro, “Civilians in our path,” he ordered and Pietro gave him a firm nod before flashing away in a wash of blue. We both looked to Wanda, “can you stop this thing?” He asked. I turned and watched as people were pulled and shoved out of the path of destruction by that flash of blue and smiled. Steve blocked civilians from flying debris coming into the train and pushing them further back, suddenly we approached a brick wall and Steve grabbed me pushing me behind him and holding up his shield as the metal frame crashed through the brick as if it were nothing and pushed us over with force. I was caught before I hit the ground and I looked to find Wanda holding me up and I smiled before gaining my footing and nodding at her, she released me and took a breath before putting her hands out, they began to glow red and I felt the train begin to slow before it dug into the asphalt with a groan. I let out a sigh of relief when it stopped fully.

I helped people up and made sure they got to the doors before jumping off the train myself seeing Pietro hunched over panting against a building. I was tempted to run to him but saw Steve step out next to me and knew I shouldn’t with the look on his face. I followed behind him as he headed toward him. 

“I just need a minute,” I heard him say to Wanda clearly out of breath.

“I’m very tempted not to give you one,” Steve snapped as he approached.

“The Cradle, did you get it?” Wanda asked, sounding terrified. I had never heard her show any sort of fear before, this was new.

“Stark will take care of it,” he answered with a nod and I cringed, that was definitely not the right thing to tell these two.

“No he won’t,” she stated I could tell she was looking into Steve’s head by the look in her eyes. And I saw Pietro let out an exasperated sigh.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Stark’s not crazy,” Steve tried to reassure her.

“He will do anything to make things right,” Wanda said. I wasn’t sure who she was talking about at this point, Ultron or Tony. They held each other’s stare for a moment before Steve turned away. 

“Stark come in,” he called out trying to use the com, “Stark,” he waited, “Anyone on coms?” he called again.

“It’s just me, Steve,” I sighed looking over at him and pulling my com out of my ear so I wouldn’t hear the echo anymore.

“Ultron can’t tell the difference between saving the world and destroying it,” Wanda told him suddenly, “Where do you think he gets that?” She asked.

“Not from Tony,” I answered her, “making Ultron was a mistake and he shouldn’t have done it, but it quite literally has a mind of its own, and it has taken these things that it was programmed to do and takes it to the extreme and doesn’t see that it isn’t right. It’s messed up, but that’s why we’re trying to stop it.” I told them both, “if you’d just listened to me earlier,” I snapped turning toward Pietro and raising my eyebrow. He looked up at me with his typical smirk and opened his mouth to say something when Steve interrupted.

“When did you talk to him about this?” Steve asked, coming up behind me.

“I tried to tell him Ultron didn’t want to help the world while we were fighting on the ship, we argued about it after Wanda zapped you,” I told him wide eyed realizing my mistake. I had not disclosed that we had a conversation, for good reason as I may have disclosed other things we had done when he had carried me off to the other side of the ship and kissing the enemy seems like a really bad idea.

“You said he just took you to the other side of the ship and broke your com, then left you there,” Steve stated in a disapproving tone.

“Oh you know, he tried to get me to join them, and say I was on the wrong side. I of course refused him and tried to get him to join our side and then he ran off,” I answered, shrugging it off.

“You forgot about the kissing,” Wanda called from behind me, and I saw Steves eyes widen in shock before setting into an angry expression, “and punching him in the face when he tried to kiss you again after you argued,” My eyes felt like they were going to fall from the socket and I could see Steve had raised his eyebrows in question even under the helmet.

“First of all,” I started turning around toward Wanda, “stay out of my head,” I told her pointing my finger toward her face.

“I didn’t need to go into your head for that, my brother told me,” She stated and I whipped my head toward Pietro who tried to look as innocent as possible.

“Second,” I continued turning back toward Steve, “Uncle steve he-” I started before I was interrupted.

“Its Captain,” he stated, anger evident in his voice and I flinched a bit, “in the field it’s captain understood?” He asked.

“Yes sir,” I mumbled before taking a deep breath and continuing, “he kissed me, we argued about the previously mentioned topics. He tried to kiss me again, I punched him in the face, and then he ran off leaving me on the other side of the ship.” I finished, “so Captain how are we going to get back?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

“Get in contact with Tony and they send another jet,” Steve answered with a sigh, “this discussion isn’t over,” he said pointing between me and Pietro, I looked back at Pietro and he was trying to keep a straight face and failing miserably, when I turned back toward Steve he had already walked off so I sat on the crate next to Pietro who smiled at me and grabbed my hand in his.

“Why would you tell Wanda?” I asked him with a glare.

“Well she is my sister, and she can read my mind so she would have known anyway,” he stated with a shrug.

“And you guys have suddenly decided to help the Avengers?” I asked.

“We have decided to stop Ultron,” he corrected, “when they began trying to upload his consciousness into the body, Wanda could read his mind. He is planning to completely destroy the planet, kill everyone on it, not just the Avengers,” he whispered to me.

“Like I tried to tell you,” I nodded, “you have to understand the Avengers are not the bad guys, I’ve spent not even a week with them and I can tell you that. Hydra, they were, Ultron, he is and the avengers want to stop those people from destroying the world, to protect it and they did mess up this time, well Tony did, but they’re trying to fix it.”

“Oh Tsvetok, always so forgiving and optimistic,” he sighed.

“Please stop calling me that, I hate it,” I groaned pushing him gently with my shoulder.

“But you are a flower, beautiful, delicate and strong,” he murmured looking at me and bringing his hand up to caress my cheek. I rolled my eyes at him but smiled as he continued cupping my face in his hand.

“I am covered in dust, there are brick crumbles in my hair and I’m pretty sure my whole body is one giant bruise,” I deadpanned and he smiled at me.

“Yet you are still all of those things Rebecca,” he whispered, stroking my cheek with his thumb.

“If you don’t stop Mr. Rogers may either have a stroke or strangle Pietro,” Wanda's voice rang out in our silence. I pulled back from Pietros hand and looked over his head where I saw Steve truly looking like he was contemplating murder. 

“Ya know, he really does, how about we keep our hands to ourselves then,” I said grabbing Pietro's hand that was still hovering in the air and putting it back in his lap. He pulled his other hand out of mine and I quickly grabbed it back, “no no this one's fine,” I rested our held hands between us and looked back toward Wanda, “what he can't see won’t hurt him,” I shrugged.

“I wanted to say I am sorry, for the things that happened before,” Wanda drawled uncomfortably, “I saw the way you thought about us in your mind and you thought so low of us for choosing to be there. I lashed out and it was not right of me to do the things I did.”

“Apology accepted, and I’m sorry for saying the things I did about you.” I replied with a small smile, “this doesn’t mean we’re best friends now,” I stated shaking my head, and she smiled at me.

“Your dad, he is not with them?” Pietro asked suddenly looking behind him where Steve was standing talking on the coms.

“No, he’s missing, but they’re looking for him,” I answered sadly and he stroked the back of my hand with his thumb. My dad had been a topic of many of our late night conversations. I sighed and looked back over to Steve who was still talking seemingly to himself. I grabbed my com out of my pocket and put it in my ear to see when we would be getting out of here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, thank you for the support and let me know what you think of the chapter and story.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle of Sokovia

The jet finally landed back at the tower and the four of us stepped out going directly to Tony’s lab knowing that he was probably not trying to shut it down. 

“I’m gonna say this once,” Steve stated when he saw the 2 scientists working on the Cradle.

“How about none-ce,” Tony snarked.

“Shut it down!” Steve shouted I flinched a bit at his volume and Pietro grabbed my hand.

“Nope, not gonna happen,” Tony shrugged.

“You don’t know what you’re doing,” Steve argued.

“And you do?” Bruce asked, “She's not in your head?” He continued acknowledging the twins.

“I know you’re angry,” Wanda started stepping around Steve and toward Bruce and I grabbed her arm.

“Oh we’re way past that,” Bruce stated, no emotion, just a fact, “I could choke the life out of you and never change a shade,” he added.

“Banner after everything that’s happened…” Steve started.

“Is nothing compared to what's coming,” tony hissed.

“You don’t know what's in there,” Wanda yelled.

“This isn’t a game!” Steve shouted and I felt Pietro release my hand. There was a flash of blue glow and all of the computers and the cradle was unplugged.

“No, no go on,” he commented when Tony stopped talking, “you were saying?” he asked looking at Tony. I heard a gunshot and before I had a chance to react Pietro was falling through the glass floor of the lab.

“Pietro!” Wanda and I shouted, jumping forward.

“What, you didn’t see that coming?” I heard Clint ask from below. And I looked down and sighed in relief seeing him laying on the floor below unscathed. Alarms sounded as the Cradle reported it’s loss of power.

“I’m rerouting the upload,” Tony stated, going to one of the other screens in the room and I saw Steve windig up to throw his shield and I ducked just in time for it to whirl through the room crashing through the towers and expensive machines. Tony put his hand out, calling the gauntlet of his suit and blasted Steve across the room before the rest of his suit started to enclose him. Out of the corner of my eye I watched Wanda’s eyes turn red and her hands glow when Bruce came up from behind her and grabbed her.

“Go ahead, piss me off,” he threatened and I slid across the floor grabbing Steve's shield I strapped it to my arm and pulled the handgun they had given me from its holster ready for anyone to attack me as I positioned the shield over the cradle ready to destroy it if I had to. Clint climbed up the steps gun in hand. Steve jumped at Tony sending them both flying through a window and Wanda sent her powers through herself blasting Bruce away from her. Thor suddenly slid into the room and I lowered my weapon confused when he climbed on top of the cradle, holding mjolnir toward the ceiling and lightning formed around it. I jumped back from where I had been standing against the cradle, guarding myself from the electricity with the shield.

“Wait!” Bruce called over the noise. Thor lowered his weapon sending the electricity into the cradle. He stopped and everything seemed to calm for a second before the Cradle exploded, sending Thor flying through the air and a life form emerged, I was hesitant to call it a human as it was bright red and gray. I watched it closely as it looked around the room before locking eyes with Thor and flying at him, knocking him through the window and into the lounge below. He continued flying toward the window before he stopped himself and I ran toward the window of the lab jumping through onto the floor below with steve and handing him his shield. Thor stood holding his hand out for us to wait and I held my breath, watching as it simply stared out at the city below. It began to morph, into what was seemingly ‘clothes’ of some sort and turned toward the rest of us floating down to the floor as everyone else slowly joined, other than Pietro who sped into the room and stopped beside me. The thing landed quietly on the floor and began speaking.

“I’m sorry that was… odd,” it said before looking at Thor. “Thank you,” it told him, looking at him for a moment and suddenly manifesting a cape.

“Thor, you helped create this?” Steve asked.

“I had a vision,” Thor answered, “a whirlpool that sucks in all hope of life, and at its center is that,” he stated pointing at the stone on the creatures head.

“What the gem?” Bruce asked stepping forward.

“It's the mind stone, one of the six infinity stones,” he explained. “The greatest power in the universe, unparalleled in its destructive capabilities,”

“Then why would you bring it…” Steve started.

“Because Stark is right,” he answered without hesitation.

“Oh it’s definitely the end times,” Bruce joked halfheartedly.

“The avengers cannot defeat Ultron,” the blond man stated.

“Not alone,” it stated.

“Jarvis?” I asked as it stepped forward, “why does it sound like Jarvis?” I looked to Tony as the thing started walking toward said man.

“We reconfigured Jarvis’s matrix, to create something new,” Tony answered, stepping toward the thing as well, almost inspecting it.

“I think I’ve had my fill of new,” Steve commented.

“You think I’m a child of Ultron,” Jarvis? Commented.

“You’re not?” Steve asked.

“I’m not Ultron, I am not Jarvis either,” he said almost sadly looking towards me before looking off into nothing. “I am… I am.” it stated.

“I’ve looked in your head,” Wanda drawled stepping toward ‘not Jarvis’, “and saw annihilation,” she continued getting closer and I saw Pietro stepping toward her protectively.

“Look again,” he instructed.

“Her seal of approval means jack to me,” Clint scoffed.

“Their powers,” Thor started gesturing to where the twins and I were standing together, “the horrors in our heads, Ultron himself, they all came from the mind stone,” he explained, “and they’re nothing compared to what it can unleash. But with it on our side…”

“Is it?” Steve asked, interrupting the blond god, “Are you?” He asked turning to ‘not Jarvis’, “On our side?” he clarified. ‘Not Jarvis’ seemed to think for a moment.

“I don’t think it’s that simple,” it stated.

“Well it better get real simple real soon,” Clint snapped.

“I am on the side of life,” ‘not Jarvis’ answered, “Ultron isn’t, he will end it all.”

“What’s he waiting for?” Tony asked.

“You,” he answered.

“Where?” Bruce asked.

“Sokovia,” Clint answered and I felt the twins freeze beside me, “he’s got Nat there too.”

“Nat’s ok?” I asked, sighing in relief, I hadn’t been able to ask, or look.

“If we're wrong about you,” Bruce threatened stepping toward ‘not Jarvis’, “if you’re the monster that Ultron made you to be…” he hesitated.

“What will you do?” ‘not Jarvis’ asked. They stared at each other for a few moments before Bruce looked away and ‘not Jarvis’ stepped around him walking toward the window, “I don’t want to kill Ultron, he is unique, and he is in pain. But that pain will roll over the Earth, So he must be destroyed. Every form he’s build every trace of his presence on the net, We have to act now, and not one of us can do it without the others,” he explained, before looking at his hands and continuing, “maybe I am a monster, I don’t think I’d know if I were one. I’m not what you are and not what you intended. So there may be no way to make you trust me,” he spoke and picked mjolnir off the table and I gasped as quietly as I could. “But we need to go,” he finished holding the weapon out to Thor. Thor looked over at the weapon in its hands and looked between that and its face several times as everyone else starred on in confusion and shock. Thor grabbed his weapon and ‘not Jarvis’ let go and strode past him as Thor looked around at everyone else in shock and confusion.

“Nice,” I commented.

“Right,” thor blinked walking toward Tony, “Well done,” he told the man patting him on the shoulder.

“Three minutes,” Steve announced, “get what you need.” he instructed and everyone walked off. I followed behind Clint knowing I would need more than what I had for the ship raid. We went to the ‘locker room/ armory’ and I grabbed a different set of gear to change into Pietro and Wanda following behind me and he grabbed a random set of training clothes and a new pair of shoes to change into. I went into the small changing room and switched out of my dirty mission gear, switching out my holsters and weapons onto the clean set before pulling my hair into two French braids and tying them off at the end. I headed to the weapons case and grabbed some small shock grenades and a few other things I had seen Natasha use slipping them into the pockets and compartments of my gear. When I turned Pietro had changed his shirt and was rummaging through the cabinets, he grabbed a red leather jacket and threw it at his sister who wasn’t paying attention, it hit her in the face and she grabbed it, finally looking at him. They were both tense, I turned and grabbed two coms form the shelf and handed them to the twins before stalking off to the landing pad and into the jet where everyone was waiting, Wanda and Pietro following behind me.

I sat off to one side, facing the back of the jet near where steve had stored his shield away and Pietro sat next to me, Wanda occupying the seat Nat had on the way to the farm. The jet felt as if it was overflowing and completely empty at the same time.

“Ultron knows we’re coming,” Steve stated, “Odds are we’ll be riding into heavy fire, and that’s what we signed up for. But the people of Sokovia, they didn’t. So our priority is getting them out. All they want is to live their lives in peace and tats not gonna happen today, but we can do our best to protect them and we can get the job done. We find out what Ultron’s been building, we find Romanoff, and we clear the field. Keep the fight between us,” He instructed drawing out the plan. He paused looking down before continuing, “ultron thinks we’re monsters, that we’re whats wrong with the world, this isn’t just about beating him it’s about whether he’s right,” he finished. And I took in a shaky breath, Pietro reached over and grabbed my hand giving it a comforting squeeze as the jet took off and we raced toward Sokovia.

“How long has this been going on?” Steve asked leaning against the wall across from Pietro and I, gesturing between us.

“How long’s it been since my dad tried to kill you?” I asked with a shrug.

“It’s been a little over a year now,” Steve answered furrowing his brow.

“Well that's how long we’ve known each other, and we became… friends of sorts,” I explained, “I mean there weren't a whole lot of options,” I joked.

“ _ Tsvetok  _ you wound me,” Pietro said dramatically, putting his hand over his heart.

“What does that mean?” Steve asked.

“Flower,” Pietro, Wanda and I answered simultaneously.

“Hang on a second,” Tony interrupted, “you and speedy boy are an item?” he asked looking disgusted and confused.

“No,” I answered at the same time as Pietro answered, “yes,” and we both looked at each other.

“We don’t need to hide anymore Becca,” he whispered to me hoping no one else could hear but I knew Steve could.

“There's nothing to hide,” I shrugged.

“Beck,” Steve called to me and I looked up at him, “it’s ok, I just wanted to make sure you were alright,” he reassured, I bit the inside of my lip and nodded before resting my head against Pietro’s shoulder. Steve stood and went toward the pilot's seat where Clint was flying the jet, sitting in a seat next to him and Pietro leaned forward to have a whispered conversation with wanda.

We approached Sokovia and opened the ramp of the jet, dropping Thor and Banner near the now ‘abandoned’ hydra facility to retrieve nat and look for Ultron's plan. We quickly touched down in the city ready to evacuate civilians and prepare for the fight. We walked down the ramp of the jetand at the bottom Pietro pulled me aside, pulling me into his arms and kissing me, I returned the kiss and he pulled away all too soon.

“Be safe Rebecca,” He instructed me.

“You too Pietro,” I whispered to him with a smile, “I’ll see you soon,” I reassured him.

“Hey!” Clint shouted, “come on, we’ve gotta go, get to your sector Becca,” he instructed and I pulled out of Pietro’s embrace nodding at Clint who was walking toward a tall building and I started jogging off to where I was to evacuate civilians. I entered a building knocking on doors shouting about the evacuation and suddenly an alert went off meaning I would be able to stand in the road and instruct. I raced out of the building onto the street.

“If you can walk, walk, we can't have too much vehicle traffic, if there's too many cars it will slow down the evacuation!” I called to the people exiting the buildings, waving them in the right direction. I felt the ground shake and heard the sound of metal and turned to the people walking to get out of the city, “go, you need to hurry!” I shouted to them. I grabbed the handgun out of my holster and aimed it at the closest bot I saw flying through the air and fired, they seemed to be never ending and I heard explosions and screams from every direction. I started running down the street, helping people who had tripped in their panic, grabbing small children and handing them to the nearest adult, throwing the small explosives at the metal bots. 

The ground began to shake again and I nearly fell at the force of it. It took everything I had to stay on my feet. I heard the voice of Ultron all around me as I grabbed a lamppost and watched as a building crumbled apart ahead of me.

“Do you see the beauty of it? The inevitability. You rise only to fall,” the voice of the robot seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once, “you avengers, you are my meteor. My swift and terrible sword and the earth will crack with the weight of your failure,” he lamented, “purge me from your computers, turn my own flesh against me. It means nothing, when the dust settles, the only thing living in this world will be metal.” 

I could feel myself rising, the ground I was standing on, no longer connected to the earth and I turned around and threw one of the explosives at 2 bots flying toward me blowing them to pieces. I could see buildings crumbling, falling off the piece of earth I was standing on and I didn’t know how to help these people that were now stuck here with us.

“Stark, you worry about bringing the city back down safely, the rest of us have one job,” Steve called through the com in my ear suddenly, “tear these things apart. You get hurt, hurt them back. You get killed, walk it off,” he instructed before the coms went silent again. I was running through the streets, shooting bots, or throwing them against buildings and crushing them to pieces as I went. The Hulk lept down suddenly in front of me grabbing a bot that had been following him and ripping it in half with a roar, I grabbed another bot that flew at me doing the same, ripping it apart before shouting back at him and he looked at me and gave me an expression that could almost be classified as a smile before continuing rampaging through the floating city. I continued on my way running through the city then too. I had made it to some sort of square and practically trampled over Natasha as she fought with a robot.

“Nat you’re ok,” I beamed.

“At the moment, I need to keep fighting though, save the day and all,” she grunted back through her teeth and she fought with the bot.

“Oh, yeah,” I said grabbing it by its head and pulling it off kicking the rest of the bot away, “it’s good to have you back,” I smiled.

“You braided your hair,” she stated almost surprised I looked at her confused for a split second before grabbing onto the tail of one of my braids.

“Oh, yeah, more secure this way,” I answered tugging on the braid with a smile, “well gotta go kick some robot ass, see ya on the flip side,” I told her waving as I ran off again.

“Alright, we’re all clear here,” I heard Clint say through the coms.

“We are not clear,” Steve responded followed by a grunt, “we are very not clear,” he added.

“All right, coming to you,” Clint answered. There was a pause and suddenly he said, “nobody would know, nobody.”

“If you’re planning on shooting Pietro with an arrow, everyone would know Clint,” I called through my com while grabbing one bot and throwing it into another with all of my strength making them both shatter to pieces.

“How would you even know that's what I was talking about?” He asked and I could hear he was running.

“You were with Wanda,” I answered simply. I saw the familiar flash of blue and looked towards it where the police had barricaded themselves and were firing at bots. He had set Wanda down and ran off again. It seemed the last of the bots was down for the moment and I began escorting civilians into the nearest building. 

“The next waves gonna hit any minute, what do you got Stark?” Steve asked through the coms.

“Well nothing great.” he stated, “maybe a way to blow up the city, that’ll keep it from impacting the surface if you guys can get clear,” he continued gravely.

“I asked for a solution, not an escape plan,” Steve retorted as we all escorted civilians through the fog of the clouds.

“The impact radius is getting bigger every second, we’re gonna have to make a choice,” Tony explained.

“Cap these people are going nowhere,” Nat stated, “If Stark finds a way to blow this rock…”

“Not until everyones safe,” he interrupted.

“Everyone up here versus everyone down there, there's no math there,” she argued.

“I’m not leaving this rock with even one civilian on it,” he snapped.

“I didn’t say we should leave,” she stated. I froze hearing that through the com, at this point it was the only solution, there was nothing else, “there's worse ways to go,” she continued, “where else am I going to get a view like this.”

“Glad you like the view Romanoff,” a static filled voice came through the com… was that, “It’s about to get better,” the voice added. Fury I thought to myself running toward where I had seen Nat and Steve, watching as a giant ship came into view. 

“Nice right,” Fury’s voice came in much clearer, “pulled her out of mothballs with a couple of old friends. She’s dusty but she’ll do,” he commented.

“That's… it’s...I thought it was destroyed,” I murmured, thinking back to when I peeked into the guard’s break room a year ago seeing them watch the coverage of the ship exploding.

“Fury you son of a bitch,” Steve stated, I could see him squinting in the sun.

“Ooh! You kiss your mother with that mouth?” Fury snarked. Pietro ran up and wrapped an arm around me as we watched the ship. Smaller crafts deployed from the large one and headed toward the rock.

“This is Shield?” Pietro asked.

“This is what Shield is supposed to be,” Steve answered.

“This is not so bad,” Pietro commented with a smile turning toward me and I caught sight of his arm that wasn’t around me.

“You got shot?” I asked looking at the wound through his arm.

“It’s not so bad,” he tried to joke and I looked up at him frowning, “I will be fine  _ tsvetok _ , I heal fast,” he tried to reassure me.

“Lets load them up,” Steve ordered as the first ‘lifeboats’ approached. We turned and ran to the building, leading civilians to the lifeboats and making sure no one got left behind. I watched as they were loaded and sent off.

“Thor I’ve got a plan,” Tony called through the coms.

“We’re out of time, they're coming for the core,” Thor answered.

“Rhodey, get the rest of the people on board that carrier,” Tony instructed.

“On it,” Rhody answered.

“Avengers, time to work for a living,” Tony called through the com. I began running toward the ruined church near the center of the floating rock taking out the few bots I encountered on the way and ran into Wanda and Clint as we approached what was left of the building. We entered and Pietro appeared in front of us.

“You good?” He asked wanda.

“Yeah,” she sighed, going to tap his arm and stopping when she noticed the wound and then walked further into the church.

“You are ok?” He asked me and I smiled and nodded. 

“Romanoff, you and Banner better not be playing hide the zucchini,” Tony called through the coms. I scrunched my nose in disgust.

“Relax shellhead,” she retorted, “not all of us can fly.” she continued as I stepped up to the object we were guarding and waited for a bot to approach.

“What's the drill?” Nat asked moments later as she ran into the church.

“This is the drill,” Tony answered, pointing toward the core, “if Ultron gets a hand on the core, we lose.” The Hulk appeared crushing 2 bots as he entered and approached the group.

“Is that the best you can do?!” Thor shouted suddenly and I turned my attention to find Ultron floating in the air. He held up his hand and a hoard of bots approached both flying and running through the streets.

“You had to ask,” Steve deadpanned, glaring at Thor from the corner of his eye. 

“This is the best I can do,” Ultrons ominous voice filled the air, “this is exactly what I wanted, all of you against all of me. How can you possibly hope to stop me?” He asked

“Well like the old man said,” Tony started, looking to the side and Steve turned toward him, “together.” he answered. The Hulk let out a deafening roar and the bots came charging toward us. I grabbed the small explosives from my pocket tossing one out through the deteriorated wall before grabbing my handgun and firing at three bots. It was madness, bots falling everywhere as everyone fought to keep them away from the core. I lost count of how many came at me, who saved me from what when I was overwhelmed and who I helped. It was complete madness but bots were falling and none of them had reached the core.

Thor, ‘the Vision’ and Tony had all ended up outside the church, attacking Ultron in sync with all of their power. He began falling apart, melting under their attack. They all stopped and he began to speak but Hulk jumped up to him and launched him through the air before running after a hoard of retreating minion bots.

“They’ll try to leave the city!” Thor shouted.

“We can’t let them, not even one,” Tony stated, “Rhodey,” he called out

“I’m on it,” came the answer through the coms. 

“We’ve got to move out, even I can tell the air is getting thin,” Steve stated, “you guys get to the boats,” he nodded to Natasha, Clint, and I, “I’ll sweep for stragglers. Be right behind you.”

“What about the core?” I asked.

“I’ll protect it,” Wanda answered and Clint and I looked toward her in worry, “it’s my job,” she added. Clint nodded at that but I was still unsure.

“Nat, Becca, this way,” Clint called, jerking his head behind us and we began running. We ‘borrowed’ a car and were driving through the wreckage of the city when Clint started talking.

“I know what I need to do,” he stated and nat looked at him, “the dining room. If I knock out that east wall it’d make a nice workspace for Laura. Put up some baffling. She can’t hear the kids running around. What do you think?” He asked.

“You guys always eat in the kitchen anyway,” Nat answered.

“No one eats in a dining room,” Clint agreed as we pulled up to the lifeboat and he stopped the car. I heard explosions and a loud roar.

“We don’t have a lot of time,” Clint commented.

“So get your ass on a boat,” Nat snapped back as we climbed out of the car and Nat ran off.

“Where’s she going?” I asked following behind Clint.

“To lullaby the Hulk,” he answered as we ran toward a lifeboat. We got up the ramp and I was fine but Clint was panting in the thin atmosphere.

“Costel!” I heard a woman call, I turned and saw an injured woman sitting on the ground, “we were in the market, Costel!” she shouted again and I turned looking out over the wreckage. I spotted a little boy trying to climb out of a hole and I looked over to see that Clint noticed him too.

“Stay here, I’ve got him, I’ve got enhancements, you don’t,” I told him running off the boat, not looking to see if he had listened or not. I reached the boy and kneeled down holding my arms out to pick him up and he latched on. I stood and turned around ready to head back to the boat when I saw bullets hitting the ground from a plane. I took a deep breath, holding onto the boy tighter knowing there was no way to avoid it, I turned so my back was to them shielding the boy from the fire, but it never came, all I felt was a strong breeze. I looked up and saw Pietro standing in front of me, bullet holes littering his torso.

“I think I love you,” he sputtered before falling to the ground. I felt like my heart stopped, nothing else existed, not even the child I was still holding in my arms. I didn’t realize I was screaming until someone shook me, snapping me out of my trance.

“Give me the kid, come on Becca, it’s alright, put him down,” Clint coaxed, he was crouched beside me trying to take the young boy that I was crushing in my arms. “There we go, he’s gotta get to the lifeboat, alright?” he said gently as I put the boy down. I scrambled over to pietro on my hands and knees pulling him into my lap.

“Pietro, no please, you’re ok. You're just fine. Just wake up, we have to go, we have to get out of here,” I pleaded even though it wouldn’t work. I let out a gasping sob before leaning forward and planting a kiss on his forehead, “I’m sorry,” I whispered and there was a hand on my shoulder, I looked up to see Clint looking down at me sadly and Steve standing over me. 

“Come on Beck, you gotta get to the boat,” Steve told me gently.

“I’m not going to leave him here,” I sobbed.

“I’ve got him, alright, come on get to the boat,” Steve reassured me, scooping Pietro’s limp form from my lap. I weakly got to my feet and stumbled toward the lifeboat. Steve laid him down on the floor and I sat on the floor beside him. Clint approached after giving the boy to his mother, laying down across the seats, mumbling something but I was too numb to listen. I barely noticed the city falling out of view from where I sat. The life boat began heading back toward the ship. 

I still sat on the lifeboat next to Pietro, it had already docked on the large ship and people were being returned down to earth, but I couldn’t bring myself to move. I heard footsteps and looked up to find Wanda entering the lifeboat and she froze when she spotted us. Another sob wracked through my body as I tried to pull myself toward her. She stepped forward and knelt on the floor in front of me and I pulled her into a bone crushing hug.

“I’m sorry he was trying to save me, I was helping a little boy and someone was shooting, I’m sorry,” I sobbed into her shoulder and she wrapped her arms more tightly around me.

“He cared about you,” she murmured against the side of my head, “it is not your fault he would not have let you get hurt. We have each other now,” she commented to me and I nodded into her shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I’m sorry for the pain. Just to let you know I will not be posting a new chapter next week just to give myself a little break since I am in my busiest season at work. I will see you in 2 weeks, thank you for the support.


	8. Chapter 8

We had finally made it back to the tower and I drug my feet as we stepped off the jet. We would have a funeral for Pietro in a few days time but for now I would be able to grieve the way I needed to. I turned around and looked at Wanda as she exited the jet behind me and I reached out grabbing her hand to get her attention.

“Do you want to stay with me tonight?” I asked weakly as we crossed the landing pad and into the building.

“I would like that,” she nodded as I dropped my weapons in my ‘locker’ on the way to the elevator.

“Come on, I’ll show you my room.” I pulled her along into the elevator and pressed the button for the resident floor. We stepped off the elevator into the common area and I stopped in the kitchen opening the fridge and grabbing one of the nutrition drinks, knowing I hadn’t had it in a few days, as well as some water, “Do you want anything?” I asked Wanda and she shook her head. Closing the fridge I led her through the maze of hallways to my room, opening the door to find the bed unmade and my mom's journals still stacked on the nightstand. 

“Do you want the shower first, or you can probably go to an empty room and use the shower but there won’t be any products,” I rambled and she put her hand on my shoulder to bring my attention back.

“You go first, I will be alright for a moment,” she told me and I nodded going to my drawer and pulling out two sets of pajamas. I set one on the bed for Wanda and rushed into the bathroom closing the door behind me. I began pulling off my gear and the armor underneath shoving it into a pile in the corner. I turned the knob in the standing shower and stepped in, jumping away from the cold spray and turning it as hot as I could stand it, letting the water burn my skin so I knew I was still here, hoping it would wake me from my nightmare. 

I don’t know how long I stood there numb to the world but I eventually washed myself and exited the glass stall, wrapping myself in the fluffy towel on the rack and wrapping my hair in another. I stood at the sink brushing my teeth and as the fog faded I caught sight of my reflection for the first time, my face was bruised and scraped and I could see the edges of bruises disappearing under my towel. I turned away from the mirror and dropped the towel pulling on the pajamas I had brought with me. I hung my towel on the hook on the wall and went back into my bedroom to find Wanda sitting on the bed looking through one of my photo albums.

“Are these you?” She drawled flipping another page.

“Yes, my cousins kept them for me, even though they had no clue I was alive,” I nodded looking at the photos over her shoulder, I was standing on top of a set of monkey bars, probably 5 years old, close to the time I was taken.

“Even after all that time?” She asked looking up at me and closing the album.

“Yeah, their mom had hope, she made them promise they would keep it, it was her dying wish,” I explained grabbing it and putting it back on the shelf.

“This one, it is your dad, yes?” She asked, pointing to the photo of my parents against the lamp.

“Yeah, it’s the only photo we have from him, he burned the others when he left, she had this one hidden,” I smiled toward the photo.

“I have seen him in your mind, but he looks different there, he is happy, your mom was beautiful. I could never see her clearly in your memories, you were so young,” she commented sadly.

“Yeah, I was. Um, here you can wear these and there are towels in the bathroom,” I told her, changing the subject and handing her the pajamas I’d grabbed for her and shoved them into her hands. Wanda nodded standing from the bed and walking to the bathroom. I collapsed onto my bed suddenly too tired to move anymore and managed to pull the comforter over myself. 

I had dozed off and jolted a bit when I heard the bathroom door open, I opened my eyes and saw Wanda exiting her hair damp and loosely braided down her back. She climbed into the bed beside me and reached out grabbing my hand and giving it a comforting squeeze, turning onto my back, I grabbed the remote and turned the lights down, closing the blinds as well. I turned back onto my side and fell into a deep sleep.

_ I stood in an all too familiar hallway, my hand held in a larger one. I looked up to see my dad walking beside me, it was one of the few days they allowed us to spend time together, I thought I remembered all of them but this is unfamiliar. _

_ “James!” I heard a voice that was almost familiar call out behind us. We both turned, my father letting go of my hand to see who was calling to him. A young redhead was coming down the hall. She was familiar but I don’t remember her. When she noticed me and our eyes met, the color an all too familiar green and she smiled at me before looking back up, why was Nat in my memory? “Who is this, James?” She asked my dad and I looked up at him. _

_ “My daughter,” he answered, placing his metal hand on my shoulder and smiling down at me. _

_ “Hello, I’m Natalia, what’s your name?” She asked, bending lower to speak to me. _

_ “Rebecca. You know my dad?” I asked her and she nodded smiling at me. _

_ “Soldat! Keep moving!” A voice barked. _

I jolted awake in the bed looking around the dark room and spotting Wanda next to me as she began sitting up in confusion. She opened her eyes and looked at me looking into my eyes for a moment.

“You knew her, the black widow,” she stated looking at me curiously.

“You can’t tell anyone about this,” I pleaded.

“Why do you want to keep it secret?” She asked in confusion.

“Nat never said anything, either she doesn’t remember or she doesn’t want anyone to know,” I explained and she nodded agreeing to my request. “How long were we asleep?” I asked yawning again.

“Only a few hours I believe,” Wanda mumbled, turning her face into her pillow.

“I understand, you know,” I whispered suddenly. I heard the rustle of Wanda moving her head against the pillow and I could almost feel her probing for what I was talking about.

“You understand our choice,” she clarified.

“Well kind of, you both lost everything. You felt you weren’t strong enough and these people said they could make you stronger, so you could hurt the people who hurt you,” I whispered to the ceiling.

“The enemy of my enemy,” Wanda mumbled before yawning.

“Pietro would say that to me,” I tried to keep the tears in but it wasn’t working.

“Everything feels empty without him,” she whispered and I made a sad noise of agreement.

“I shouldn’t have left the lifeboat, but there was a little boy, and he was stuck,” I sobbed and Wanda rolled closer to me, grabbing me by the shoulders and rolling me into an embrace as tears began to fall from her eyes too. We laid like that for a long time letting each other cry and feel the comfort of the other being there and eventually both of us fell back into a deep exhausted sleep.

Wanda and I stayed in my room for 2 days wrapped up in blankets in my bed talking, crying and sleeping. Steve and the others would bring us meals, try and get us to leave the room but we couldn’t and they accepted that, today we would be taking a jet to Sokovia to bury Pietro in the place he called home Tony had arranged and paid for everything so Wanda and I stood on the launch pad ready to board the jet waiting for the other members of the team. The wind whipped our hair around our heads as the ramp lowered and we stepped onto the craft taking seats off to the side and preparing for the journey. Everyone slowly boarded the jet each giving the two of us worried looks as they prepared to take off.

Hours later we stood in a cemetery in Sokovia around a casket that held my first love Wanda and I huddled together as a Rabbi spoke in Hebrew, I could feel everyone’s eyes on me watching us, pitying us maybe but I didn’t care at the moment as I listened to the service and the words I unfortunately didn’t understand. An arm wrapped around my shoulders and I looked to see Nat standing beside me giving me a comforting squeeze and I realized that Dr. Banner was gone, the hulk had disappeared in the quinjet and no one could track it. I also remembered my dream from 2 nights ago, and as I looked at her I remembered her, or the person she was, not this version of her. I turned back toward the casket and listened to the service before watching it be lowered into the ground. 

The ride back to the tower had been silent, the mood of the team was somber and as soon as we landed Wanda and I headed back into my room changing back into pajamas and curling up in the bed. We stayed there for days eventually not just laying there and sleeping but deciding to watch American movies from the selection on my bedroom television. It had been 5 days since the funeral when Steve called us both into the common room.

“You two need to come out of Rebecca's room, I understand what you’re going through, I get it but Pietro wouldn’t want you to waste away in bed alright. I’m fine with the sleepovers but Wanda, you need your own room and your own clothes, Tony is going to take care of that for you so don’t worry about it. You need to have a life though, go to school, make friends go on dates,” Steve said pacing in front of the large sofa Wanda and I sat on.

“I am not going to an American Highschool,” Wanda drawled, rolling her eyes.

“If she’s not going, I’m not going,” I argued, shaking my head.

“Technically I’m not in charge of you,” he pointed to Wanda, “but I am in charge of you and you’re going,” he continued pointing at me. I slumped forward crossing my arms over my chest.

“Yeah you are, I spent a lot of money getting you a placement test at Midtown,” Tony called entering the common room through a door I hadn’t been through and he put his phone into his pocket as he approached Steve. “Test is next week, she’s gotta be there at 9,” he nodded to the man, “you,” he pointed to Wanda, “ love the bestie thing you guys staying together, supporting each other all of that but, you need your own room, we’ve got one ready for you, and you need your own clothes I’ll send you out with Nat you can even take Ms Barnes with you, get yourself some clothes and whatever else you need alright, my treat.” He shrugged.

“Another thing, I’ve told everyone else, you two have been in your little cave though,” Tony continued, “we are going to be moving HQ, I bought an old Shield warehouse upstate, it’ll be a couple months before it’s done but you of course can stay at the tower while you’re going to school and head to HQ on the weekends once its up and running,” Tony shrugged.

“Why the sudden move?” I asked.

“Just want to be out of the middle of the city,” he shrugged again before pointing between both of us again, “you're also both going to be taking drivers ed, gotta get your licenses.”

“I already know how to drive,” I argued.

“Well you still need to take the class, it's the law I don’t know what to tell you,” Tony shot back and I frowned at him.

“Cap I gotta talk to you in the office,” Tony said turning to the blond man, “you two have a good day, come out of the cave, spend some time outside, go to the park, get some coffee, use the state of the art training facility that we have. Be sad outside of Becca's room, watch a movie in the theater or something, cool?” He asked with a thumbs up and we both gave him a confused look, “cool,” he nodded before walking away Steve went to follow him before pausing.

“Beck if you guys leave the tower just make sure to take your phone with you,” he instructed and I gave him a nod of agreement, he nodded back and followed after Tony.

“Come, I’ll make us breakfast,” Wanda instructed standing from the sofa.

“You can cook?” I asked following behind her.

“Of course I can cook,” she answered not looking back at me as I followed her into the large kitchen area. I sat at the island as she raided the large refrigerator pulling out several different things and setting them on the island. I watched her rummage through the cupboards pulling out a cutting board and knives.

“So you really are gonna make me go to school by myself?” I asked with a smile.

“You’ll be fine,” she retorted, rolling her eyes. “We should go see the city today, all the touristy stuff you know,” she suggested with a sad smile as she washed spinach and mushrooms in the sink. 

“I mean sure, but I was born here so I’ve seen it all before,” I told her with a shrug.

“You were? I didn’t know that,” she commented as she placed a pile of mushrooms on a cutting board and began to chop them.

“My dad was able to break the mind control when he recognized Brooklyn, he still didn’t know his own name or anything else but he knew Brooklyn,” I told her with a smile.

“Miss Barnes, there is a woman here who is requesting to see you,” I lilting Irish voice called, I jumped for a moment before remembering Tony had installed “FRIDAY” to run the building now.

“Who is it?” I asked, I didn’t know anyone who would visit me.

“Her name is Cecilia Proctor Miss,” FRIDAY answered.

“Who is that?” Wanda asked.

“Let her up please FRIDAY,” I called before turning to Wanda who was now whisking eggs in a bowl, “it’s my cousin,” I told her as I heard the elevator approach. The doors opened and a very frantic looking Cecilia exited looking around wildly.

“Rebecca, oh my goodness I hadn’t heard from you and you didn’t come to dinner and I saw everything that had happened on the news, I figured I would give you some time but it’s been over a week now and I just had to make sure you were ok,” She rambled as she rushed over to where I was sitting on a stool, dropping her handbag as she went and crushing me in a hug. I could see Wanda chuckling out of the corner of my eye as she heated a pan on the stove and I slyly gave her the finger so Ceci didn’t see.

“I am really sorry Ceci, a lot has happened and it slipped my mind. I couldn’t call you last Sunday or the Sunday before last I suppose, I wasn’t able to use my phone,” I told her patting her shoulder in an attempt to get her to release me.

“Who’s your friend, sorry honey I just don’t recognize you from the news and I thought only the Avengers and little Becca lived here,” Cecilia asked before apologizing to Wanda for not recognizing her.

“This is Wanda, we were at the Hydra facility in Sokovia together with her twin brother,” I introduced.

“Oh, well it’s lovely to meet you I’m Becca’s  _ first _ cousin,” she emphasized with a laugh, “sorry it is just still so hard for me to believe.”

“Not to be rude but how are you first cousins?” Wanda asked before shaking her head, “I forget my manners, would you like an omelette Cecilia?”

“Well my father is technically 98 and his younger sister is Ceci’s mom,” I answered and she gave me a confused and amazed look.

“That’s right, and thank you for the offer sweetheart I am just fine though. Did you say she has a brother, I would love to meet him as well, if you’re friends with them I’m sure he’s as wonderful as his sister,” Ceci smiled and I felt my heart stop for a moment, I hadn’t even realized I’d mentioned him and Cecilia's smile faltered at the look on our faces.

“He was… um Pietro was killed during the battle. He was saving me, I was helping a little boy that got stuck… and someone was shooting and he jumped between to protect me… and he died. He was also a little more than a friend,” I told her, choking up on the tears that were trying to escape.

“Oh my darling I am so so sorry, oh come here,” she cooed pulling me into a much gentler hug now, she began stroking my back gently and rocking me back and forth, “I understand sweetie, that isn’t easy, oh no wonder you hadn’t called me.” I heard the sound of ceramic sliding and caught Wanda sliding the finished omelettes to the other side of the counter and the sight of her quickly wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. She rounded the island and went to sit down when Ceci suddenly pulled away from me, “oh don’t think I didn’t see that missy, come here,” she instructed Wanda before pulling her into a tight hug, Wanda looked frightened and confused over Cecis shoulder. I smirked and pointed at my forehead before thinking ‘ _ she’s decided you need a hug there’s no getting out of it’  _ she scowled at me and I just grabbed my plate pulling my omelette toward me and grabbing a fork. I began eating as I heard a door from above on the mid level open, Steve and Tony still talking in hushed tones as they exited. Cecilia had released Wanda who sat next to me on a stool eating her own omelette and I spun around as I heard the men approach.

“Who are you?” Tony asked, presumably to Cecilia and she spun around gasping when she saw Tony.

“Oh my goodness you’re Tony Stark,” Ceci fawned.

“Yeah that doesn’t answer my question,” he snarked and I spun around on my stool.

“This is Cecilia, Tony, she’s my cousin,” I answered.

“How is she your cousin?” He asked and the unspoken part of she looks like she could be your grandma, showed in his eyes.

“My dad is 98 remember?” I shot back sarcastically and noticed Ceci looking between Tony and I so I gave her a smile.

“Ok yes but distant cousin, cousin by marriage I’m looking for more information,” he responded with a vague hand gesture.

“Bucks younger sister Rebecca was Cecilia's mom Tony,” Steve answered the man in exasperation.

“Oh so like you guys are  _ cousins _ , how,” he paused looking around as if searching for the right word, “unique,” he finished with a smile, “as lovely as this is, I have um anything else to do.” With that Tony was off toward the elevator, most likely heading up to the penthouse level or truly anywhere else.

“Sorry, Tony is… well he’s Tony,” Steve shrugged.

“Oh that’s just fine doesn’t bother me at all,” she waved him off before she turned back to where I had gone back to my breakfast and pat me on the shoulder.

“Is there anything that you needed Cecilia?” Steve asked her then.

“I just hadn’t heard from Becca here and I was so worried I came to check on her, but she explained and I do not blame her at all she has had a tough couple of weeks and no one so young should have to go through something like that,” she squeezed my shoulders before adding, “or anything else you’ve been through for that matter,” she finished with a kiss to the side of my head, “I just wanted to stop in and be sure she was alright I’m going to be off though I’ve got some errands to run. Rebecca I better see you at dinner on Sunday, no excuses you can even bring your lovely friend if she would like to come,” she rambled as she gathered her handbag and headed toward the elevator.

“I’ll be there, I promise this time,” I called to her as Wanda grabbed my empty plate and carried it to the sink.

“What are you two going to do today?” Steve asked after the elevator door closed. Leaning against the island as I got up to help Wanda with the dishes.

“Wanda wants to see the city,” I answered with a smile, shooing Wanda away from the sink so I could finish doing the dishes.

“Just be careful please, and don’t get into any trouble,” Steve sighed and I turned from the sink giving him a confused look.

“We’re both enhanced, we can take care of ourselves,” I replied.

“That’s what I’m worried about,” Steve informed me as I shut the dishwasher, “oh Wanda, this is for you,” he told her, pulling a phone out of his pocket, “compliments of Tony.” She took the device looking at it for a moment before scrunching her nose at it but still put it in the pocket of the sweatpants she wore.

“Let’s go get ready,” I told her and went to exit the common area.

“Hang on,” Steve called out to me, I turned around and he held his wallet in his hand pulling out some bills and handing it to me, “we’re going to get you both your own bank accounts set up since you’ll be on avengers payroll but we’re still working on getting both of you proper paperwork so this will have to do for now.” He explained and I let out a surprised noise at learning I would be paid as an avenger.

“Thanks Uncle Steve,” I smiled at him, sticking the money in my pocket and grabbing Wanda’s hand, pulling her down the hall to my room. We both began rummaging through my closet for something to wear and I grabbed a black Henley and a pair of jeans and Wanda had somehow found a skirt that I didn’t remember getting but Natasha may have snuck it in. We changed and fixed out hair, I opted for a simple ponytail and we both stood in the bathroom mirror putting on makeup. 

“So where do you want to go?” I asked as I applied eyeliner.

“I have always wanted to see Time Square, and the big park in the middle of the city, what is it called?” She asked looking away from her reflection in the mirror for a moment.

“ _ Central Park _ ?” I said sarcastically and she scowled at me, I smiled back brightly.

“Oh shut up, I forgot the name,” she replied, shoving me playfully when I leaned forward to put mascara on. I blinked looking at the product smudged on my nose.

“Oh it's on,” I said, turning toward her grabbing an eyeliner and lunging at her. She held up her hands the familiar red glow surrounding them and I was frozen in place, “not fair,” I complained trying to break free and she laughed.

“Do you give up?” She asked, still holding me in place.

“Fine,” I sighed and she released me with a smirk. I wiped the mascara off of my nose with a huff and fixed my makeup. “Are you ready to go?” I asked when I was finished.

“Yes, I am,” she answered before grabbing a tube of lip gloss and applying it to her lips. I leaned against the counter top, my arms crossed over my chest as I watched her.

“So no you weren’t ready,” I snipped, rolling my eyes and grabbing a tube of deep red lipstick I would put on in the elevator. I walked out into my room looking at the disheveled blankets tangled over the bed and empty plates on the bedside table. Seeing it reminded me of why we stayed in here so long and my heart ached.

“We will take care of it when we get back,” Wanda drawled gently behind me.

“I know,” I told her, walking out of the room and down the hallway heading straight to the elevator. I pressed the button and heard Wanda approach, stopping next to me to wait. I grabbed my Stark phone from my pocket, opened the map and searched the directions for where we wanted to go.

“It’s a 10 minute walk, do you want to just do that?” I ask her.

“It would be good for us, we haven’t done much the last week,” she nodded solemnly. The elevator doors opened and we walked through the lobby and out onto the street. I looked around for a street sign on the bustling sidewalk and grabbed Wanda's hand pulling her past the crowds taking pictures in front of the tower and in the right direction. We follow the crowds of pedestrians down 44th street. Wanda stared up at all of the buildings as we walked and I looked as well, it felt strange to be back here, things were so different and yet exactly the same, the old yellow taxis still drove down the street honking at other cars, people talked on their cell phones as they walked everyone waited impatiently at the crosswalks.

The further we walked the thicker the crowds of pedestrians became. Clearly most of them were tourists who looked up at the buildings in awe mixed with the every day New York residents who kept their heads down and pushed their way through the crowds. We came into the large open area surrounded by bright screens and buildings.

“This is very busy,” Wanda stated looking around at the crowds of people.

“Well it’s New York,” I commented with a smile and she shoved me to the side.

“You’re very sarcastic today,” she pointed out.

“And you keep stating the obvious,” I snarked again and grabbed her arm before she could shove me again. We walked through the square dodging tourists and people in costumes trying to get us to take pictures with them as Wanda Looked around at the electronic billboards.

“What is the point of all of these?” She asked pointing toward the bright signs.

“You’re asking the wrong person,” I told her as we sat down on an empty bench. I looked at the sights surrounding me, all of the people and buildings, the advertisements playing on the giant screens, I felt like I was getting lost in the noise.

“Smile,” Wanda teased and I looked up to see her with her new phone in her hand snapping a picture of me.

“What the hell?” I asked laughing as I lunged for the phone, she held her hand up as it glowed red stopping me from grabbing the device she held above her head.

“So you can show your dad what you’ve been up to, maybe you can keep journals for him too like your mom did,” she smile, and I felt my mood plummet, if we ever find him, I thought, “hey we will find him, Steve and his friend and going after any lead that even points at it being him,” she tried to reassure me and I gave her a tight smile.

“He could be anywhere in the world, hell he could even be dead for all we know,” I retorted solemnly.

“He isn’t,” she told me confidently, “just scared.” 

“You don’t know that, not for sure,” I shot back.

“You’re right I don’t, but I have confidence and hope for you,” she explained, setting her hand over mine where it sat on my knee and squeezing it. With a sigh I gave her a half smile.

“Hey there sweet thing, I think you should give me your number,” a voice called, and I looked up to see a man approaching us, looking Wanda up and down.

“Well that is odd because I was thinking I shouldn’t,” she answered her accent thick.

“Oh don’t be like that honey, I was just thinking we could have a conversation,” he shot back standing directly in front of her, towering over her on the bench, blocking her in.

“Hey asshole, she said no, also we’re 17 why don’t you go hit on someone your own age,” I called to the man who instantly turned to me looking down at me like he hadn’t noticed me sitting there next to her.

“Oh, so you’ve got a friend and you can’t speak for yourself is that it? Come on I know you want to give me your number sweetheart,” he continued becoming irritated as Wanda leaned over and whispered into my ear.

“He is drawing attention to us and people are starting to recognize us from news clips,” she whispered quietly and I slyly looked around at the small crowd gathering out of the corner of my eye.

“Don’t start keeping secrets baby, you can tell me anything,” he snapped.

“Oh I can speak for myself, and I do have a friend, and  _ you _ have an audience,” she informed him calmly, “so why don’t you back up and my friend and I are going to leave.” The man looked around seeing the crowd of people and took a step back almost involuntarily. I stood pulling Wanda up with me holding onto her hand as I began to try and walk away.

“Hey I’m not done with you bitches yet, don’t walk away from me!” The man shouted. I stopped dropping Wanda's hand and turned back toward the man.

“Rebecca,” she murmured trying to stop me but it was already too late, the man had sealed his fate.

“You really don’t know how to take no for an answer do you you creep,” I seethed as I stalked back toward him, “we aren’t bitches,” I stated, stopping in front of him before pulling my fist back and punching him straight in the nose, “we’re avengers,” I finished walking away from the man as he clutched his nose and I grabbing Wanda by the hand, “run,” I instructed before pulling her away and pushing through the crowd of people. Wanda was slowing down and trying to pull me to a stop, I turned to look at her and saw the telltale red glow fading from her eyes.

“It’s fine, they remember they saw us but they don’t remember what you did, let's just go to the park,” she drawled and I nodded in agreement as we began walking through the crowds hoping to stay inconspicuous in case Wanda missed anyone. I pulled my phone out of my pocket opening the nav app and searching for their next destination. I grabbed Wanda's hand again and pulled her in the right direction.

“It’s just another 10 minute walk,” I told her, pulling her down the sidewalk in the right direction. We continued down the sidewalk weaving through the crowds of people she pulled me to a stop suddenly.

“We are getting coffee, come on,” she said, pulling me across the street. 

“Gross,” I grumbled as she weaved us through cars.

“It’s not the sorry excuse they called coffee there, it's good trust me,” she tried to reassure me as she opened the door of a small cafe and pulled me inside. This did not smell unappealing like what the guards in Sokovia would carry around with them or what Strucker would constantly be drinking while he performed his experiments, this was not what coffee smelled like, in my experience anyway. The small cafe was crowded with people lined up waiting to order and retrieve their drinks.

We waited in the ridiculously long line and Wanda placed an order for both of us since I had no idea what anything on the small menu was. I paid with the money Steve had handed to me earlier and we waited at the other end of the counter. They handed us our cups at the small counter and Wanda looked at them before handing me the one she had intended for me. I looked at the cup skeptically before smelling the beverage through the lid. It smelled sweet and I took a small sip. It was definitely better than what they had called coffee back in Sokovia but it was not going to be my favorite.

“You still don’t like it?” She drawled 

“It’s not my favorite,” I shrugged, “but it’s not like what they had in Sokovia.” I explained as we continued toward the park. We entered the fenced path and were swallowed under the cover of trees I watched as we passed people sitting on benches looking at their phones, people walking around taking pictures, and a few people leaning against tree trunks reading in the grass we continued walking down the paths as they weaved through the trees, Wanda enjoying her coffee and finishing it quickly, I had a few more sips of mine but tossed it when she threw hers into a nearby garbage bin.

“Come on, let's sit in the grass, it’s been so long since I’ve been able to do that.” Wanda said excitedly as she pulled me into the grass before plopping herself down in the sun and laying in the grass. I sat beside her awkwardly leaning back on my hands with my feet straight out in front of me. Wanda sighed running her hands through the lush grass, her eyes closed and face turned toward the sun. I turned away watching the people around us.

“Nothing is going to happen, you can relax, besides if something does I’ll see them coming,” she drawled from beside me. I looked toward her again and she had one eye peaked open with her hand blocking it from the sun. I turned back toward the people walking through the park and continued watching them. “Come on Becca, they’re just people, they aren’t Hydra, they’re not a threat and if they were we could take them,” she tried to reassure me, I don’t know why sitting in the grass was making me nervous but it made me feel vulnerable.

“I know, I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I guess I’m not used to just sitting out in the open and relaxing with so many people around, I’m not really used to relaxing at all,” I said, still watching the people around us.

“I know, and it’s ok, you’ll get used to it, I think it might be from the coffee, you were fine earlier.” She tried to reassure me. I sighed and laid back in the grass with her. 

“What do you think he’s doing right now?” I asked staring up at the blue sky watching a few clouds float by.

“Hmm,” she hummed in thought, reaching her hand over and holding onto mine, “well first, I don’t think he is here in the U.S.” she started and I hummed in agreement, I feel like he would have been easier to find if he was, “I’m going to say somewhere in Europe, but he probably moves a lot. So he is probably eating dinner and maybe looking at a newspaper, that is of course talking about what happened in Sokovia, and he is seeing pictures of you helping people and he is feeling very proud.” She finished and I turned my head to look at her, my eyes stinging with emotion.

“Thank you,” I whispered before looking back up at the sky to compose myself. We sat in silence for a few minutes, taking in the scenery and watching the clouds pass by before I sat up, propping myself on my elbows, “so what do I need to do to become a ‘normal’ teenager like Steve said,” I asked Wanda who opened her eyes and looked at me with furrowed brows.

“I am probably not the best person to ask, I have been an orphan since I was 10, I was never a normal teenager, but I would probably say social media,” Wanda shrugged.

“What the fuck is social media?” I asked her.

“Oh, right you have no clue, like twitter and instagram, Snapchat. It’s what people do with their time, give me your phone,” she said holding her hand out to me. I rolled my eyes but pulled the phone out of my pocket and handed it over to her watching as she opened the App Store and installed 3 different apps. She opened the first when it finished downloading and looked at me, “what do you want your user name to be?” She asked me rolling onto her stomach and propping herself up on her elbows.

“I don’t even know what that means,” I told her, furrowing my brows.

“Ok, how about RebeccaJames,” She suggested and I shrugged, she looked back down at the phone, typing it in and completing setting up the account. I watched as she set up my profile. “What do you want your bio to be?” She asked.

“Um something about who I am I guess? So I’m an avenger, Steve is basically my Uncle and my dad is Sergeant James Barnes,” I shrugged and she rolled her eyes.

“That will work for now I guess,” she teased Typing it in. “Ok now you just need a picture,” she continued pushing herself off of the grass and I went to follow her, “no, lay back down in the grass,” She instructed.

“What why?” I asked, frowning at her but doing it anyway.

“Just trust me,” she stated fiddling with my phone before she pushed my arms out of her way with her feet and stood over me, I felt my eyes widen comically.

“What the hell are you doing?” I asked before laughing.

“Not what I had in mind but this works,” Wanda giggled plopping back down in the grass beside me and showing me the photo on the screen.

“Ok sure,” I agreed, looking at the photo of me laughing in the grass.

“There we go,” she said before showing me the screen again with my ‘twitter’ profile set up before pulling it away again. “Look, even Steve has a twitter,” she said, handing the phone to me. I grabbed the device from her and began scrolling through the page, the first thing I noticed was about the battle in Sokovia.

_ The events that occurred in Sokovia were a great tragedy, and we are saddened by the lives lost during the conflict. The Avengers team did everything we could to keep all civilians safe and evacuate the city and resolve the situation with the minimum number of casualties and injuries. _

I continued scrolling, although they were mostly the same, talking about Avengers work or new events and were not very consistent, it was clearly not something he used on a daily basis, my guess was Tony made him create an account. Scrolling back to the top I noticed a button that read ‘follow’ so I pressed it.

“You should follow the others too, I believe everyone but Clint and Thor have twitters,” Wanda stated scrolling through her phone now. I started looking at the other Avengers profiles, seeing they were much more interesting than Steve’s when my phone dinged.

**New message from Uncle Steve:** Did you just follow me on Twitter?

How did you even see that? Don’t you have like 2 million followers?

**Uncle Steve:** Yes, but I just so happened to have it open and saw the notification come in.

My phone dinged again and I saw Steve had followed as well. I followed Natasha and Tony as well as Wanda when she showed me her profile. I did not follow Bruce’s account even though he has one since he is still M.I.A. My phone dinged twice more when Natasha and Tony followed me, for some unknown reason, probably Steve when Wanda reached over and grabbed my phone again.

“Hey,” I said reaching for it,again as she held it further out of my reach.

“I’m trying to help you with the other accounts,” she drawled and I huffed before rolling over onto my back in the grass. I watched the sky for a while before she handed my phone back to me showing me the 2 different apps and explaining them to me.

We sat there in the grass for hours before finally deciding to head back to the tower. We stood and headed back to the path to find our way out of the park. I had directions pulled up on my phone back to the tower and as we walked the path a man pushing a small cart rounded the corner.

“We should get ice cream,” Wanda said, pulling me toward the man pushing the cart. We each picked out a cone and I paid with the money Steve gave me before we continued on our walk back to the tower. 

As we both finished our ice cream cones I spotted a small corner store and pulled Wanda toward it, tossing our dirty napkins in a garbage bin as we passed. I stepped into the shop and began browsing for what I needed, after wandering through a few aisles I spotted a stack of small composition books and picked 2 up. I turned to head toward the front of the store and was met with Wanda giving me a small smile.

“What?” I asked frowning at her, “it was a good idea,” I shrugged before scooting past her and heading for the register.

“You think it will help you miss him less,” she drawled quietly.

“Stay out of my head,” I mumbled, turning back toward her after setting the notebooks on the counter next to the old beat up cash register.

“Who said I got that from your head?” She questioned quietly as the cashier called out the total to me and I turned back, pulling more money out of my back pocket and handing it to him. He quickly handed me my change and the plastic shopping bag containing my purchase. I turned back toward Wanda but she was no longer looking at me, she had a confused look on her face before she opened her mouth, “is that a cat?” She asked me and I followed her line of sight to see a small tabby laying on a stack of magazines in the corner.

“That’s the manager,” I told her.

“What?” She asked, turning to me with her brow furrowed.

“I don’t know, that’s what my mom used to tell me, and if I tried to poke them and bug them she would tell me they were working right now and I couldn’t,” I explained grabbing her hand and pulling her out the door. When we got back to the tower we walked past the security desk and into the elevators and as I prepared to ask Friday to take us to the resident floor, she spoke up interrupting me.

“Miss Barnes, Miss Maximoff, Captain Rogers and Mr Stark have asked me to send you straight to them when you returned to the tower, they are in Mr. Stark’s office.” Friday called out into the elevator as it began to climb. 

“Ok thank you Friday,” I called back as it began to slow to a stop and we exited into the main common area. I rounded the corner to the stairs leading up to a midlevel where Steve and Tony had disappeared through earlier. Just as we reached the top of the steps Steve opened a door about half way through the open level. Our eyes met and he looked thoughtful and maybe slightly irritated, he waved us over to him and ushered us through the door before stepping in himself and closing it behind him. Tony sat at a large desk, elbows resting on the desk and his forehead resting against his steepled fingers looking completely frustrated. I still had no idea what was going on but it couldn’t be good. Tony leaned back into his comfortable looking desk chair and waved his hands toward the 2 chairs sitting in front of the desk next to each other. I looked at Wanda and then back at the chairs, both of us stepping forward and taking a seat.

“So, after you two left this morning Friday sent me something very interesting,” Tony stated, tapping on his computer as Steve rounded to the other side of the desk and stood behind Tony. Tony grabbed the monitor and turned it toward us before pressing a button on his keyboard and allowing a video to play. I looked at the screen, confused at first before recognizing the scene I glanced at Wanda who had the same recognition in her eyes as she watched the screen and I turned back quickly watching as I pulled Wanda up off the bench and began to walk away before watching the man call out to us when I turned around stalking back to him and breaking his nose, then watching as I grabbed Wanda by the hand and we both ran off.

“Care to explain what happened and why?” Steve asked, rubbing the bridge of his nose between his fingers.

“He was harassing Wanda, asking for her number and wouldn’t take no for an answer, he was blocking her in, he noticed there was a crowd, it gave us room to get up and walk away and he told us her wasn’t done with us bitches yet’ and I kindly let him know that these ‘bitches’ were done with him.” I explained hastily, “Wanda made sure no one around remembered,” I defended, then cringed at the looks on both of their faces when they turned toward Wanda, “sorry” I whispered to her.

“You did what?!?!” Steve asked in disbelief.

“They remember they saw us but they do not remember what Rebecca did,” she explained calmly with a shrug.

“Oh, good job,” Tony nodded.

“What?! No! She can’t just go around manipulating other peoples memories, and SHE can't just go around punching people in the face,” Steve exclaimed.

“Isn’t that exactly what you used to do Uncle Steve, go around fighting bullies?” I asked him with a confused frown.

“Yes, when I didn’t have superhuman strength, also I was the one getting punched most of the time,” he stated in exasperation.

“Okay? I mean I barely touched the guy it was more of a friendly tap,” I rolled my eyes, he was making this such a big deal.

“You broke his nose?” Steve asked incredulously.

“Well he did deserve it, cat calling and harassing two under age girls,” Tony shrugs. “This will be easy, hopefully the press doesn’t get ahold of the video, and we don’t need to worry about a witness leaking the story since they don’t remember,” he stated like this was as simple as it should be, “hopefully the broken nose is a good reminder of how not to treat women,” he finished straightening the monitor on his desk.

So are we… good to go?” I asked pointing toward the door.

“Yes,” Tony answered, at the same time as Steve snapped, “No.”

I just glanced over at Wanda and raised my eyebrows at her hoping she would understand as Tony and Steve began bickering back and forth, we both stood quietly and backed out of the room, rushing down the stairs and through the halls toward the bedrooms before bursting into laughter.

“What are you two laughing about?” Natasha asks, coming out of her bedroom.

“Becca punched a guy in the face who was harassing me and called us bitches when tried to walk away and I made all of the people who saw forget, but tony got footage of it from Friday and we were in trouble until we explained it Tony says its fine, Steve is still mad and now they’re arguing so we escaped without them noticing,” Wanda explained between giggles.

“Good for you,” she told me with a wink before walking off toward the common room.

“If Steve asks you haven’t seen us,” I call after her.

“Seen who?” She asks with a thumbs up as she continues down the hall. I turn back toward Wanda and we break down into giggles again.

“Let’s go find the theater room,” I suggest and we both hurry off again to find the theater room, watch some movies and hopefully hide from Steve.

_ “Hello Rebecca, what are you doing today?” A voice asked and I looked up to see Natalia. _

_ “I’m doing my school work,” I answered looking back down at the math book in front of me.  _

_ “Yeah? What subject are you working on?” She asked, walking further into the room and sitting next to me at the table. _

_ “Math,” I answered her, scribbling down the answer to a problem. _

_ “Do you like math?” She asked peaking over my shoulder at the page I was working on. _

_ “Not really, it's easy,” I answered, still looking down at the book in front of me. _

_ “What’s your favorite?” She asked and I looked up to her seeing her familiar smile. _

_ “Sometimes my dad teaches me how to fight,” I said without thinking before I remembered and felt my eyes widen in panic, “he’s not supposed to though, you can’t tell anyone please,” I begged quietly. _

_ “It’ll be our secret,” she winked at me, “where is your dad?” She asked casually. _

_ “He’s in one of his ice naps,” I told her looking back down at my math book. _

_ “Ok, well I am going to have to go alright kid, I’ll see you later,” she told me standing. _

_ “Bye Natalia,” I said, not looking up from my work book. _

“What did you just say?” I heard, making me jump, my eyes opened and I saw Nat standing at the end of my bed, a poorly concealed mix of shock and confusion on her face.

“I didn’t say anything, I was asleep,” I mumbled, rubbing my eyes and propping myself up on my elbow.

“What were you dreaming about?” She asked, still giving me a strange look, maybe she did remember me, did she not want me to remember her, or did she just think I forgot her?

“I don’t remember,” I lied, “what are you doing in here?” I asked, changing the subject.

“I came to wake you up, we’re going shopping with Wanda and then we’re all getting our hair done. You’re getting bangs, and highlights,” she told me pulling the covers off me and walking toward the door.

“Why am I getting that?” I asked as I stood.

“Because you’re going through a heartbreak and that’s what you do, get ready I think Wanda’s making breakfast,” she called over her shoulder. I stumbled over to my closet pulling it open and grabbing a gray t-shirt and black ripped jeans. I pulled them on and quickly brushed through my hair before making my way to the kitchen where Wanda was already standing at the stove cooking.

“Where did you find another skirt?” I asked her sitting down at the island and watching her.

“It was in your closet, I don’t know what you mean?” She responded pulling at the sleeve of a deep red top she must have borrowed from Natasha.

“Look at me,” I gestured to myself and what I was already wearing, “do I look like I would ever pick that out in a million years, especially something so flowy and ruffly,” I argued to her, “I don’t know where you got that but it was not my closet. Where’s Nat?” I asked.

“She said she was going to wake you up and she would be back,” she shrugged.

“She did, but she started acting weird when she woke me up,” I told her. Wanda looked up at me and I could see her eyes glowing faintly for a few moments.

“You had another dream about her,” she whispered across the island, “you said her name out loud in your sleep and she heard you, but it is the name she no longer uses,” she blinked looking back down at the stove.

“You don’t believe in personal space in like any fashion do you?” I asked her leaning over the counter and grabbing a sausage link from a plate next to her and she slapped my hand.

“And you do not believe in waiting, but we are friends now and we don’t keep secrets, plus you were going to tell me anyway, I just saved you some time,” she shrugged plating pancakes and sausage links and setting a serving aside for Natasha before handing me my plate, “don’t take hers,” she instructed glaring at me.

“Like you would let me get that close,” I snorted and she hummed in agreement. We ate in silence and a few minutes later Natasha emerged from Tony’s office coming down from the mid level and sitting at the empty space Wanda left for her.

“Ok, girls day out on the billionaire, he’s got the three of us appointments at the best salon in the city, we are taking one of the SUV’s and we are going shopping for everything you need Wanda,” She stated as she grabbed her fork and began to cut into her breakfast. Steve walks out of the elevator then and pauses when he sees the three of you sitting at the counter eating.

“Hey, no more strays or orphans, I love shopping as much as the next lady but if I keep having to take teenagers on shopping trips so frequently I’m not going to like shopping anymore,” Nat snarks looking over at him.

“Hey,” you and Wanda say simultaneously in faux offense knowing she didn’t mean it.

“You didn’t have to go with us before you volunteered yourself, I know this time Tony asked you to take them but you could have said no,” Steve said, not getting that she was mostly joking.

“Yes, but it’s just for these to, no more,” she teased again. Steve finally seemed to catch onto the joke and nodded before he looked over at me. I had a second of panic since Wanda and I had not seen him since yesterday when I was getting in trouble for punching an asshole in the face.

“We are driving to D.C. Monday, your situation and the way Hydra erased you is complicated so we need to take care of this there, luckily you found those copies of your birth certificate and social security in the box from you mom,” he told me and I silently sighed in relief that he didn’t seem upset anymore.

“Okay when are we leaving Monday?” I asked.

“Probably around 6 its a few hours to get there, want to make sure we have enough time.” He answered nodding, “have fun today, I’ll see you later,” he added before leaving the kitchen and heading up the stairs. I sighed and continued eating my breakfast when Natasha spoke up from the other side of Wanda.

“I talked to him and let him know he was being stupid for being mad at what you did,” she stated and I looked over to her leaning forward to see past Wanda.

“Why?” I asked in confusion.

“Because you were defending your friend, and the guy was a creep, if you hadn’t done what you did he probably would have followed you,” she shrugged, “I watched the whole clip, if the press got ahold of it, it wouldn’t be good, especially since no witnesses remember, but Friday will keep it safe.” She finished looking back at her plate and continued with her breakfast. “Hurry up, we have a lot to get through and we have an appointment at the salon we need to be on time to.” She instructed not looking up from her plate.

It had been hours and we were all sitting back in the car heading to the upscale salon Tony had booked us appointments at. I sat in the back seat, Wanda up front and Nat of course was driving. She pulled up to a parking spot along the sidewalk and put the car in park, all of us getting out Wanda and I waiting as she fed the meter before leading us toward a building nearby.

“Hi welcome how can I help you ladies today, do you have appointments?” The soothing voice of the woman at the front desk asked.

“I believe they are under Stark,” Natasha stated approaching the desk with Wanda and I following behind her.

“Great, looks like we’ve got you down for a full treatment today, exciting stuff, follow me on back right this way,” she gestured before strutting back into the salon wearing mile high stilettos, “these three will be taking care of you today, have a great time,” the receptionist said before heading back up to the front.

“Alright ladies, what are we going to be doing with your hair today?” A man in a loose black button up asked, the soft fabric rippling as he moved his arms.

“I just want a trim, and a style, these two, well they are going through a lot, I think with her,” Nat started gesturing toward Wanda, “maybe some layers and a little deeper on the color, warm it up a bit. Now her,” she continued turning toward me, “I was thinking a nice fringe and come highlights, maybe some layers if you’re feeling fancy.” She finished with a smile turning back to the stylist who had asked the question.

“Oh I like your vision,” he nodded, “are you two good with this plan?” He asked pointing toward Wanda and I, we both nodded, “alright, well I call dibs on bangs and highlights,” he singsonged grabbing me by the shoulder and leading me toward a salon station, “you just sit right here and relax, I’m gonna go and mix up some color for you, would you like anything to drink, water soda?” He asked and I shook my head. He walked off and I looked to the seat beside me where Wanda had been sat down speaking to Natasha just past her. A few minutes later the man returned with a plastic bowl and some sort of brush sticking out of it. He put a fabric cape around me before he grabbed a hairbrush from his station and began brushing through my hair, using his fingers as well. 

“Oh wow your hair is so thick and gorgeous, how often do you normally cut it and what type of products do you use?” He asked.

“Um, where I lived before they would just cut it when they thought it was getting too long,” I mumbled my fingers knowing together nervously in my lap, “ Natasha helped me pick out hair products when I came to live with my Uncle Steve,” I shrugged and the man nodded along giving me a friendly smile in the mirror. This continued as he applied the color to my hair before wrapping the strands in foils, he would ask me questions and nod along at the answer or begin some sort of story my answer made him think of. He asked me where I went to school and I quickly told him I had been ‘homeschooled’- a term I had heard in a few movies Wanda and I had watched- before but would be going to midtown next year. He tried to make references to things I was probably meant to understand but didn’t and he talked about some app called ‘Vine’ which I filed away for later. When he finished applying color and an excessive amount of foils to my head he brought me to a different chair with a hood that blew hot hair onto my head and told me to sit back and relax which I found difficult before Wanda was brought over and sat next to me. I moved my hand out from under the large cape and reached over to grab her hand, which she accepted and gave me a reassuring squeeze.

After I was removed from under the heat and brought to a row of sinks to rinse the chemicals from my hair. Once my hair was washed and conditioned the stylist lead me back to the station and sat me back down in the chair before getting to work combing out my wet locks and grabbing his scissors. Hair began to fall and he cut more and more, the cape becoming covered in half drying locks of hair. He instructed me to tilt my head forward and I followed the instructions, hair falling into my face as he began to part it and comb through it. I didn’t pay much attention to what was happening blindly following his directions of when and how to move my head. He grabbed a hair dryer and began drying and styling my hair, Natasha was leaning against the counter watching silently, evidently already done with her trim. She gave me a gentle smile. As the stylist turned off the hair dryer and set his tools down I became nervous, I wasn’t sure why, my hair had never meant anything to me, of course that may be because I didn’t have a choice before, but it was also just hair and would grow back if I didn’t like it.

“All right, take a look at that gorgeous mane,” the stylist said unsnapping the cape and flicking the hair away onto the floor and setting it to the side before handing me a small mirror, “here’s a little mirror so you can take a peek at the back… go on what are you waiting for, trust me you look fabulous and I’m not just saying that because I did it,” he tried to reassure me waving me out of the salon chair. I stood, pushing myself up out of the chair and approached the mirror looking up and making eye contact with myself…. I knew it was me but I looked so different, my new bangs lay messily across my forehead and my hair fell past my shoulders in layered messy waves that faded into blonde, it was so strange to see myself like this and yet I felt like it was how I was meant to look, it fit who I was or who I wanted to be I wasn’t sure which. I reached up and brushed my fingers through the ends of my hair looking at the now blonde hue of my brunette locks. The stylist was explaining something to me about the care of my color but I couldn’t really pay attention, I was too lost in my reflection, still somewhat unsure.

I stood waiting as Wanda was finishing up and Nat went to pay at the front desk. I was leaning against the counter watching as the woman blow dried and styled Wanda’s long locks. She glanced up at me and smiled before watching the stylist work in the mirror again. The hair dryer was turned off after a few more moments and the tools were put away before Wanda was released from the cape and she stood, approaching so she stood directly in front of me.

“I already know that if he were here I would have had to stay far away from him until he got used to seeing you like this,” she murmured with a smirk. I felt my eyes widen and a blush overtake my face as her meaning settled in but was oddly comforted and felt more at peace with my new style knowing she thought Pietro would have liked it. Nat found her way back to us then seeing Wanda up and ready to go calling us along with her as she headed to the door. We made our way back to the tower and unloaded the many shopping bags helping Wanda carry them to her room and then the laundry room so she could wash her new purchases. 

Hours later I sat on Wanda’s bed watching as she folded and hung her clean clothes and absentmindedly looking at my phone I was tired from our day of shopping and was looking at twitter where I had gained a shocking amount of followers when people realized the avengers were following me back. I had posted a photo of my new look which had gained some attention.They were planning a press conference to introduce the 2 new members of the team some time next week and I was not necessarily looking forward to the attention.

“Will you go with me tomorrow?” I asked Wanda suddenly, remembering I was supposed to be at Cecilia's tomorrow for dinner.

“Go with you where?” She asked looking up from inspecting a cardigan.

“My cousins, they’re having family dinner tomorrow and they want me to be there, evidently everyone is going to be there. She did invite you when she was here yesterday,” I reminded her.

“Well if I was invited then of course I’ll go,” she answered with a smile, “now get out of my room I’m exhausted,” she joked shooing me toward the door. I rolled my eyes but complied, rolling off the bed and heading out the door and down the hall to my own bedroom.

I sat down in bed propped up against my pillows after I finished my bed time routine and reached over to grab the small notebook I had purchased yesterday I dug around in the drawer for the pen I knew I had put in there before I finally found it, propping the notebook up on my knee I began to write.

_ Dad, _

_ My friend Wanda gave me this idea. She said it would be a good way for you to be able to catch up when I find you again. It’s been a little over a year since I last saw you and I miss you. Uncle Steve is taking care of me now and I am living with all of the avengers. Yesterday my friend Wanda and I went out and I showed her New York City, I punched a guy in the face because he was flirting with her and wouldn’t take no for an answer, Steve was mad about that said I can’t go around punching normal people cause I’m a lot stronger than then, but I didn’t hit him that hard, just hard enough to break his nose. Today Natasha took Wanda and I out to go shopping and get our hair done, I didn’t really know what I would want done so Nat picked for me, they lightened the ends of my hair and gave me layers and bangs, I wasn’t sure about it at first but I actually really like it and want to keep my hair like this for a while. I’m going to go to school in the fall, and I reconnected with my cousins. I'll be going to see them tomorrow. I’m not really sure what else to write for now so I miss you and I hope we find you soon. _

I sat the notebook down on the nightstand, laying the pen on the cover and burrowed myself down into my comforter, closing my eyes and ready for the comforts of sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so this chapter is super long but I hope you enjoyed it, I'll see you next week.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rebecca meets her family... both sides of her family.

**Chapter 9**

The next day flashed by in a blur and then I was dragging Wanda though the subway station trying to find the right train to take us from manhattan to Brooklyn. Wanda was currently grumbling about how complicated it was and how much we would have to walk and switch trains, wishing we could take one of the several ‘team vehicles’ I just rolled my eyes and smiled looking at the schedule on my phone and where we would need to go. It would take us nearly 40 minutes to get to brooklyn on the subway, and that was if everything was running on schedule. I looked up as a train stopped in front of us and saw it was one we needed to be on so I grabbed Wanda’s hand and pulled her toward the opening doors as she continued to grumble, this time about the smell.

When we finally made it to our stop we climbed the stairs out of the subway and I lead Wanda down the sidewalk toward Cecilia's brownstone, the streets seemed to be quieter today, even New York seemed to be taking a break on a Sunday afternoon. As we turned the corner onto Cecilia's street I paused, looking down at my ripped up jeans and sweater I had put on this morning since there seemed to be a late spring chill today, I wasn’t sure why I was anxious all of the sudden. I looked toward Wanda who gave me a patient smile, waiting for me and playing with the sleeves of her thin maroon cardigan she wore over a short black dress.

“They know you, and any of them that don’t will love you,” she tried to reassure me and I nodded letting myself take a deep breath before continuing toward Cecilia's front steps that had already been within view. I climbed the stairs and stood on the porch knocking on the heavy door. We waited, I could hear the faint sound of voices inside. It wasn't something other people would have been able to hear though, not overly loud but there were clearly a lot of people in the space. The door opened and when I didn’t see anyone at eye level I looked down to find a young boy in a wheelchair, he was probably close to my age and he looked at me frowning.

“Who are you?” He asked one hand on the door the other on the wheel of his chair.

“I’m Rebecca, who are you?” I retorted arching a brow at him.

“I’m James, hey aren’t you two the new avengers?” He asked after studying us for a moment.

“Uh, yeah,” I answered, becoming confused.

“That’s awesome… why are you at my grandma’s house, you lost or something?” He asked with a smile on his face.

“No, I’m not lost, I’m just gonna introduce myself. I’m Rebecca James Barnes, I am your grandma’s cousin,” I told him, sticking out my hand and watching his dumbstruck face as he processed my words.

“Wait so the rumors are true, he’s alive?” He asked, his jaw dropped in shock.

“Well I’m not sure exactly what rumors you’re referring to but, can we come in? Ceci invited us for dinner,” I asked, gesturing past him into the hallway.

“James, what are you doing just sitting there with the door open? Oh Becca sweetheart come on in,” Ceci said coming out from the kitchen in the back of the house, “watch your chair James,” she told the boy as he blinked and seemed to come back to himself before rolling back away from the door and into the living room so Wanda and I were able to enter the house. We both removed our shoes lining them up with the large collection by the door and I followed Ceci to the living room.

“You came the right week for your first Sunday dinner, everyone is here, my oldest granddaughter is in college so she only drives up about once a month instead of every week, you just met James, this is Megan, she’s Mick's granddaughter. Everyone else is in the kitchen and I think the little ones are upstairs playing.” Ceci babbled pointing to a girl who was probably around the same age as the boy sitting on the couch looking at her cellphone typing furiously, she looked up at Wanda and I when Ceci mentions her and her face fills with confusion. “Sorry we didn’t really mention you or that you were coming just in case you weren’t able to make it again, I figured it would be easier for you to explain it to everyone. Come into the kitchen you two, and Meg will you call Jack and Jenna down please,” she instructed the two in the living room before waving Wanda and I along with her.

We entered the kitchen which was nearly full of people. I spotted Mick and he walked over with a bright smile on his face wrapping me in a friendly hug.

“Who’s this?” He asked, pointing to Wanda.

“Oh, right this is my friend Wanda Maximoff, Ceci invited her to join me when she was at the tower the other day,” I answered him before looking around, the dining table had been extending and was coming into the kitchen from the attached dining room. There were several people standing around, setting the table, chopping vegetables at the counter.

“It’s great to meet you,” Wanda drawled, shaking Mick’s hand and he grinned at her.

“Oh, where are you from?” He asked, hearing her voice.

“Sokovia,” she answered him a bit solemnly.

“Oh my goodness, what happened there was awful, did you lose anyone?” He asked quitetly.

“My brother was killed, we were orphans he was the only family I had left. We are both enhanced, we were helping the avengers,” She answered him, sadness breaking into her voice and her mood.

“I am so sorry for your loss sweetheart, If you don’t mind me asking what exactly happened to him?” He continued his hand resting on Wanda’s arm in comfort.

“He was trying to save me,” I whispered my voice cracking a bit, “someone was firing on us when I was trying to help a little boy and he got between me and several bullets.”

“Oh my… oh Becca,” he pulled us both into an awkward but comforting group hug before pulling back and giving us both a sympathetic smile as thundering footsteps were heard from above, “I am so sorry for your loss, but now we need to meet the circus and we are going to bring the mood up alright?” He offered and I nodded. He stepped back away from us as 2 small children came bursting through the kitchen door and he sidestepped in front of them making a dramatic noise as they both squealed skidding a bit as they stopped abruptly sliding on the tile floor. Megan followed the 2 at a much more normal pace followed by James wheeling in behind her. Cecilia looked up from where she had been checking over several pots and pans on the stove when the last 2 entered the kitchen before turning and giving a loud clap.

“Right everyone, introductions need to be made, some of you may remember her but we need to be reintroduced. Everyone this is Rebecca,” she gestured to me and I stepped toward her when she held her hand out, she grabbed me by the arm pulling me into her side and wrapping her arm around my waist.

“Wait, as in little Becca, James supposed great granddaughter, Anne’s daughter. I thought you were killed when Anne was,” A tall slim woman who looked to be in her 40s, her hair dyed blonde stated.

“So um I wasn’t, and I’m not James great granddaughter, I’m his daughter and James-Bucky is alive. When my mom was killed it was by Hydra, they have been controlling my dad for the last 70 years and they kidnapped me. Captain Rogers and the Avengers recovered me from a Hydra facility in Sokovia a few weeks ago now,” I told the room and I saw the boy in the wheelchair gaping like a fish.

“Who are you?” The woman asked Wanda.

“Oh I’m Wanda, I am Rebecca’s friend, Cecilia invited me to come with Becca.” She answered simply from her spot leaning against the pantry door.

“Alright now, Rebecca introductions, this is my daughter Jennifer,” Ceci started pointing to the blonde woman who had spoken before, “right there is her husband Will,” she gestured to a man standing next to her. “That is their oldest daughter Melissa, you met James, he’s their middle son,” she added pointing to a thin brunette girl who’s hair was styled in perfect shoulder length waves then to James who still sat awestruck, “then little Danielle is the youngest,” she pointed to a preteen girl who was standing leaning against the back of a dining chair.

“I’ll take over from here Ceci,” Mick told her stepping forward, “this is my son Chris, and his husband Adam,” he stepped toward me gesturing toward two men one sitting at the dining table the other standing behind him, they both gave me a friendly smile, “these two are their children,” he gestured to the two kids who had come barreling into the kitchen earlier, “Jackson and Jenna,” he finished pointing to a young Chinese boy and a small African girl who couldn’t be more than 4. “This is my daughter Heather,” he added wrapping his arm around a woman standing at the counter, “and of course her daughter Megan,” he finished.

“I think you’re forgetting someone,” a voice called out, I turned my head to see a woman approach, “hello Rebecca, I’m Sandy, Mick's wife.” She told me reaching out to wrap me in a hug and I followed along with it.

“I didn’t forget you, I was just saving the best for last,” Mick retorted and everyone laughed, “if you would have let me finish woman,” he snarked with a smile.

“It’s great to meet you all, well again I suppose, I know I’ve met you before but I don’t really have a whole lot of memories from before,” I explained shrugging.

“That is just fine dear, plus some of the younger ones weren’t around yet, don’t you worry about it at all, we know you spent more time with Ma than the rest of us, we’re just happy you’re here now,” Mick told me squeezing my shoulder. He stepped away and Ceci shooed us away from the counter and pantry.

“You two go sit, dinner will be ready soon, we’ll let you know, I’m sure James will entertain you with questions,” she instructed Wanda and I shooing us toward the living room as the little girl and James followed behind us. Wanda and I sat on the sofa and the little girl ran up to me.

“Hi, I’m Jenna,” she’s giggled, “I like your sweater, and your hair,” she told me, her hands clasped in front of her as she swayed back and forth.

“Thank you Jenna, I like your hair too,” I told her pointing at her braids that were held at the ends with colorful clips.

“Thanks, can I sit with you?” She asked, still swaying shyly.

“Of course,” I answered and patted the spot next to me, she climbed up onto the sofa but instead of sitting on the cushion next to me she climbed into my lap and sat down and I let out a quick “oh” of surprise.

“Yeah she’s a stage 5 clinger, you won’t get rid of her now,” James said as the small girl wrapped her arms around my neck resting her head on my shoulder and I smiled wrapping an arm around her, “so, what you’re saying is, that my great uncle, war hero, James Buchanan Barnes, is alive and you are his daughter?” He asked me, hands resting in his lap, fingers laced together.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” I nodded.

“How did he survive falling from the train?” He asked.

“When his unit had been captured they were experimenting on him trying to replicate the super soldier serum, it wasn’t complete but it was enough that he didn’t die,” I answered.

“Ok,” he acknowledged with his eyes narrowed, “so where has he been?” 

“Hydra found him and captured him, he lost his left arm and they put him into Cryo-sleep until they were able to create a viable replacement for the arm and continue his enhancement,” I answered again.

“Wait so you’re telling me he has a working prosthetic?” He asked incredulously and I nodded in response, “Can I get 2?” He asked, gesturing to his legs.

“That is not something you want, the only reason my dad is able to handle it is because of his enhancements and years of building pain tolerance, its heavy and clunky, unreliable and causes him back issues,” I told him.

“So it’s true that he is the winter soldier the notorious assassin?” He asked, looking a bit disappointed at my answer.

“Yes, they erased his memories and took his free will so he was just a puppet but yes he was,” I answered, defending him.

“Hey I knew he wouldn’t have joined the Nazi’s willingly,” He defended his question putting his hands up in surrender.

“Are we talking about punching Nazi’s?” The girl who had been sitting earlier- Megan asked walking into the living room and sitting down.

“No Rebecca was raised by Nazi’s and James Barnes is an assassin for them,” James commented.

“Was,” I corrected, “he escaped.”

“Your dads a Nazi?” She hissed.

“No he was brainwashed,” I snapped back.

“Oh, well do you know where I can find Nazi’s to punch?” She asked me.

“You’re… very violent,” I stated and Wanda Snorted from next to me.

“You’re one to talk, you broke a cat callers nose 2 days ago,” she drawled.

“Oh my god you did?” Megan asked excitedly and I nodded confused, “That’s amazing. Down with the patriarchy!” She cackled and James rolled his eyes.

“Ignore her, she’s crazy,” he told me, “so tell me, what are the Avengers like? Is Dr Banner really missing?” 

“I mean, they’re pretty boring, they just live their lives, and yes Hulk took off on a quintet in Sokovia we don’t know where he is.” I answered as Jenna who was still sat in my lap started playing with the ends of my hair and I looked down at her smiling.

“What’s the funniest thing that’s happened with them?” James asked.

“Oh, um Tony threw a party and everyone was sitting together, Clint decided to teach me to fling playing cards at people. I decided to try and hit nat cause she wasn’t paying attention and, not paying attention for her is still paying enough attention to know so she just dodged it.” I shrugged.

“You tried to hit Natasha Romanoff, The Black Widow, former Russian assassin with a playing card and thought it was going to work?!?!” He asked incredulously, “you were brave enough to do that?” He added.

“Nat’s great, she’s going to be training me. We were all just having fun, I took her having a conversation as her being distracted though. I did hit Uncle Steve though he really wasn’t paying attention.” I explained and he looked completely awestruck.

“Did she really?” He asked looking at Wanda.

“I wasn’t there for it, but I can see it in her memory, she isn’t making it up,” she grinned shrugging.

“Wait, did you just say you can see her memories?!” Megan asked, jaw dropped.

“Yes, I am um, what do they call it?... Telekinetic,” she said trying to find the right word.

“NO WAY! SHOW US!” James practically shouted. I opened my mouth to say something but Wanda had already reached her hand out, the familiar red glow surrounding it as she lifted James and his wheelchair off the ground. He looked around the room in awe and Megan stared at Wanda stunned. Wanda gently released James back onto the floor and they all sat silently stunned for a few moments before Jenna who still sat in my lap burst into giggles.

“I like that, it was funny,” she giggled and everyone else momentarily joined in.

“Okay is Captain America  _ really _ super strong?” James asked after everything calmed down.

“I mean if you want I can show you how strong I am,” I offered, shrugging.

“Wait, are you saying what I think you’re saying?” He practically whispered.

“That I was born already enhanced and then illegally experimented on my a super secret Nazi terrorist organization which further enhanced my strength and speed then yes,” I answered.

“Oh my god this is amazing, so you’re like a female Captain America with more trauma,” he gushed excitedly.

“Definitely not,” I replied, rolling my eyes when there were suddenly small fingers on my lips. I closed my mouth and glanced down to see Jenna, her deep brown eyes intently focused on my lips.

“I like your listick,” she told me looking up into my eyes with a big grin. I couldn’t help but smile.

“Thank you,” I murmured trying to avoid her sticking her fingers into my mouth if I could and then I kissed her fingers gently making her giggle and pull her hands away.

“Alright guys time to eat come on,” Came a voice from the hallway, I looked up to see Jenifer standing in the hall wiping her hands on a dish towel before reaching her foot out and undoing one of the breaks on James wheelchair. He looked back at her shooing her foot away and she grinned at him, tossing the towel over her shoulder and heading back into the kitchen. Jenna went to climb off my lap but I just wrapped my other arm around her and stood up before tossing her onto my back making her giggle.

“You can’t keep her you know,” Wanda murmured to me with a smirk.

“Yes but she’s my cousin and will be here every Sunday,” I retorted, sticking my tongue out at my friend.

“Yeah!” Jenna shouted from her place on my back sticking her tongue out at Wanda as well. Wanda held up her hand, letting it glow red before she moved her fingers and Jenna shrieked, giggling.

“Oh no, run away!” I shouted bolting toward the kitchen as carefully as I could, the small girl's arms wrapping more tightly around my neck. I stumbled to a stop after entering the kitchen door and crouched to place Jenna on her feet.

“Wait oh my gosh I need to get a picture of that,” I heard a voice say and I paused looking up to see Jenna’s dad Adam fumbling to stand from his seat at the table and grab his phone. I straightened out and hiked Jenna higher up onto my back as Adam stood and pointed his phone at us. Jenna wrapped her arms tighter around my neck in an awkward sort of hug, leaning her head against the side of my neck whispering ‘cheeesssee’ making me smile as well. “Oh that is so perfect, I’m definitely framing it, do you want me to send it to you?” He asked, pointing the phone screen toward me and I grinned even more seeing the photo.

“Yes please,” I nodded.

“Oh of course sweetie, here just put your number in,” he instructed and I ducked down quickly depositing Jenna on the floor before grabbing the phone and typing in my number.

“Okay, sit down come on phones away, you can do that later.” Ceci instructed shooing us toward the dining table, I took a seat next to Wanda who was already seated and gave her a smile for saving me an open space even though I was sure they left space intentionally for the two of us to sit together. All of the other spaces at the table were quickly filled as everyone sat. The table was filled with food down the center and once everyone had a seat they began passing it around for everyone to take what they wanted. As everyone began to eat Jennifer looked over toward me.

“So Rebecca, what have you been doing these last 12 years, have you gone to school? Will you be going to school?” She asked, I froze momentarily as all of the adults seemed to stop their quiet conversations and look at me.

“The people who had me, I had a tutor, but I understand there is a lot they didn’t teach me, that they didn’t want me to know in order to manipulate me into following their beliefs,” I answered carefully.

“Well will you be going to school now?” She asked again.

“I am taking a placement test at Midtown next week since I didn’t have a… traditional education.” I explained, “hopefully i will still be able to graduate after this upcoming school year,” I shrugged. 

“Well that’s great, James and Megan are both at midtown so at least you’ll know two people. What about you Wanda where do you go to school?” Jennifer asked, looking to Wanda.

“I am actually done with school already,” she answered looking down at her plate. Jennifer just nodded

“So Rebecca, are you staying with your mom’s family?” Micks daughter Heather asked.

“Oh, um no I’m staying with Uncle Steve and the rest of the avengers,” I answered quickly, “my mom didn’t have any family, and steve is looking for my dad.” I shrugged. Everyone was silent for a few moments, Danielle and James pushing each other in a silent argument from the end of the table.

“Aunt Ceci, have you found anyone to move that big wardrobe yet?” Chris asked, looking down the table to Cecilia who had a mouth full of food.

“Oh, no I’m afraid I’m going to have to hire a whole team to move that thing, its just too heavy and awkward for one person. And lord knows how much they’ll charge to move it 20 feet down the hall,” she rolled her eyes.

“I can do it before I leave,” I told her and everyone stopped, some mid chew and looked at me.

“Oh don’t be silly honey it’s fine, I’m just going to hire someone to do it, it’s much too heavy for just one person,” she waved me off.

“You do know I have abilities similar to the Captain right?” I asked looking between her and Mick and noticing everyone’s shocked expression. “It’s really no problem I’m sure I’ll be able to move it,” I tried to reassure her and out of the corner of my eye I spotted Melissa pulling her arm back slowly from a serving dish at the center of the table, her elbow catching on her mother's wine glass I started to hop up hoping to catch it in time when a familiar red glow wrapped around it and righted it before it could spill. Everyone was frozen again, only now they were not focused on me, they were looking at Wanda. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted Ceci signing the cross over herself in a panic.

“And if Rebecca can’t move it I’m sure I can,” she drawled, setting the glass down in it’s previous place on the table and Jennifer slowly reached forward holding the glass and examining it as if it were the thing that was magic.

“Yeah, I didn’t want to volunteer her, but she could probably move it much more easily that I could,” I shrugged and Ceci just nodded with her mouth hanging open. Wanda and I looked at each other and we both started giggling uncontrollably, James, Megan and Jenna quickly joined in since they had seen Wanda’s powers already.

“We really should have warned them before,” Wanda giggled.

“That probably would have been a good idea,” I agreed, still laughing, “sorry everyone I thought you two at least knew about my abilities,” I apologized before looking to Ceci and Mick. 

“So are you both…” Chris started before trailing off.

“Avengers?” I asked and he nodded, “technically yes but we are also still technically trainees. Sokovia was all hands on deck so we did get to join in then.” 

Everyone seemed to nod and they looked back at their plates, after a few moments they all seemed to go back to normal and conversation began to flow around us, they asked Melissa about her college courses and Megan about the advocacy group she was trying to start at school. Occasionally they would ask Wanda and I questions but mostly we both just ate and listened to this odd family dynamic we had both been lacking in our lives. After the meals were done Wanda and I helped clean up even at Cecilia's protests. When the dishes were done and left over food put away I turned to Ceci.

“Ok Ceci what exactly needs to be moved?” I asked her and she began shaking your head.

“Absolutely not you’re a guest,” She started stubbornly wiping her hands down on a dish towel.

“You’re family, and I want to help my family,” I insisted and she sighed.

“Oh come on Ceci, she is offering to help and so is her friend, plus you’ll save money,” Sandy shouted from her spot sitting at the table.

“Fine,” Ceci sighed, rolling her eyes, “come on dear its upstairs,” she instructed, waving us to follow her. Wanda smirked as we trailed after her up the stairs and into one of the bedrooms. “This wardrobe here, I need it moved down the hall just into the other bedroom is all, but like I said girls it's very heavy,” she rambled pointing to a beautiful vintage wardrobe.

“Is there anything in here?” I asked walking up to the wardrobe and looking at her over my shoulder, watching her shake her head. I turned back to face the wardrobe and wrapped my arms around it lifting. It was certainly heavy but not too heavy for me, it was simply large and awkward. “The only thing I’m worried about would be hitting the walls, what about you Wands?” I asked and she arched her brow at the nickname that I had never called her before. 

“I could certainly move it with my powers, if you would just like to walk with it just in case they fail at any point, I won’t lift it too far off the ground though,” she shrugged and I nodded in agreement when I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Danielle slipped in the room, standing in the opposite corner away from the door and I could see Megan standing on the stairs with Chris, Jenna and Jackson. I backed away from the wardrobe and stood beside Wanda as she lifted her hands, they glowed red and the wardrobe was wrapped in the odd glow before it lifted a few inches off the floor. The onlookers watched and I followed along as Wanda moved the wardrobe out of the door and down the hallway toward the other bedroom. 

I heard a soft knock on the front door and I paused in confusion knowing that everyone was here. Wanda seemed to falter at the same time looking over the banister toward the door, her concentration breaking and the wardrobe fell the few inches to the floor with a loud crash. I reacted, steadying it before it was able to fall or break and whipped around to her in confusion. She glanced at me then back toward the front door with a nod and I listened as the door opened and I heard James as he tried to form any type of words.

“Are Rebecca and Wanda still here?” I heard the familiar smooth voice of Natasha say over the sound of James’ flustered panic.

“Oh, Miss Romanoff isn’t it?” I heard Mick call out as he came to save both James and Nat.

“Come on let's get this done,” I said to Wanda turning back toward the wardrobe in the middle of the hallway.

“They’re just helping with something upstairs,” I heard Mick explain as Wanda picked the wardrobe back up and I continued following it down the hall and into the other be3droom. It was clear where it was intended to be placed as there was an area against the wall already cleared for it and Wanda set it down and I pushed it more firmly into place. I turned around and saw Natasha standing in the doorway, arms crossed and eyebrows arched.

“Hey, what are you doing here?” I asked with a smile.

“Just came to make sure you two weren’t causing any trouble, and to remind you that you’re leaving early tomorrow to head to D.C. with Steve,” she nodded to me.

“I remember, we just wanted to help with this and then we were going to catch the train back,” I explained.

“Well since I’m here now I can drive you both,” she offered.

“Thank god,” Wanda muttered.

“Oh come on you drama queen, it’s not that bad, did you text her?” I asked Wanda.

“No I actually didn’t but that would have been a good idea,” she smirked and I stepped forward to shove her but she held me in place.

“Come on not fair!” I shouted and heard Jenna giggle from behind Natasha. I looked past Nats legs at Jenna and smiled, “Who’s side are you on?” I asked and she giggled more. Wanda released me and I headed straight toward Natasha and Jenna, Nat knew what I was doing and that she was not my target and easily sidestepped behind Jenna who I scooped up into my arms spinning in a circle and tickling her sides as she giggled and wrapped her arms around my neck to keep from falling.

“Alright, come on, we need to get back,” Nat stated and I smiled at her giving Jenna a tight hug and setting her back on her feet.

“I will miss you,” she said, grabbing onto my hand.

“I’ll be back next week,” I told her crouching down beside her and letting her pull me into one more hug.

“Well thank you for coming today Rebecca, and thank you both for your help,” Ceci said coming forward as I straightened out again and she wrapped me in another tight hug. “You’ll be here again next week?” She asked as she released me holding me at arms length by my shoulders and I nodded my head, “Wonderful, and Wanda, thank you for coming along, you’re welcome any time you like, and you as well Miss Romanoff, if you would like to take along,” Ceci nodded toward the other two women before she released me and we all headed down the stairs. When we reached the entryway Mick came around the corner from the living room and wrapped me in another tight hug.

“Don’t be a stranger Becca, we’re here every week,” he told me and I saw James rolling around the corner staring at Natasha in awe. “You ladies have a good evening,” Mick said to Wanda and Nat. I stepped past him into the living room to say goodbye.

“I’ll see you all next week,” I told them with a wave and received a chorus of goodbyes before I turned to put my shoes on.

“So you really do know the black widow,” James whispered.

“Did you think I was lying?” I asked, looking at him with my eyebrows furrowed.

“I mean I don’t know,” he shrugged, “do you think she would talk to me?” He asked, arching his brow. I just rolled my eyes, tying my high tops.

“See you later James,” I mumbled to him following Nat and Wanda out onto the porch. We walked down the steps and all climbed into the sedan parked against the sidewalk.

“Who was the one in the wheelchair that answered the door?” Nat asked as she started the car and shifted into drive.

“That was James,” I answered and she snorted.

“That is just…” she trailed off seeming like she was trying to find the right word. I knew what she meant, his namesake missing an arm, him unable to use his legs.

“Yeah it is,” I giggled.

“Is he always that dumbstruck?” She asked.

“No I think he has a crush on the black widow, and he’s obsessed with the avengers” I giggled and she chuckled as she turned a corner.

We made it back to the tower and Wanda and I headed directly to my room as she wanted to ‘help me prepare’ for tomorrow. Steve was waiting in the hall outside my bedroom door and I smiled at him as I opened the door and turned on the lights, both of them following in after me. I plopped down on my bed, sitting on the edge as Wanda sat next to me, both of us looking up at Steve expectantly.

“We are leaving here at about 6, so make sure you get a good night's rest, you can sleep on the drive if you need its going to be a few hours, we’ll stay there overnight so make sure you pack a bag with something to sleep in and a change of clothes, do you have those copies of your documents?” He rambled and Wanda stood heading into my closet, I rolled my eyes at her but nodded to Steve getting up to look in my nightstand drawer. I grabbed the two pages and handed them to him, sure he wanted to keep them safe so we would have them tomorrow. Wanda was throwing things from my walk in closet onto my bed and now rifling through my dresser. Steve gave me a questioning look about it and I just smiled and shrugged.

“I’ll see you in the morning then,” he sighed and I nodded as he left the room.

“I can pack my own clothes you know,” I stated, picking up the items she had thrown on the bed and inspecting them. I grabbed the small duffel she had set out and began packing one of the outfits as well as the other items she had set out, the other outfit I sat on my dresser to put on in the morning.

“Hey do you have any idea what the hell ‘Vine’ is?” I asked plopping down on the bed with my phone in hand, “the hair stylist was talking about it yesterday and then Danielle was talking about it at dinner,” I continued opening the App Store on my phone. It was relatively easy to find it was evidently one of the most popular apps at the moment.

“I do not,” Wanda answered, laying on the bed beside me and leaning over to see the screen as I opened the app. We sat there scrolling through the 6 second clips for a while before I spotted the time. I clicked the lock button and set my phone down. 

“Ok, I need to go to sleep,” I told her rolling over her and staying there, she quickly shoved me off sending me flying into my pillows and I laughed.

_ “Miss Barnes, I was asked to wake you by Captain Rogers,”  _ the lilting Irish voice jolted me from sleep. I blinked and looked around the room as the lights slowly brightened, I looked at the clock next to me and groaned rolling over and falling onto the floor catching myself on my hands and knees. I sat back, leaning against the edge of the bed groaning, it was WAY too early. I took a deep breath before pushing myself off the floor and grabbing my clothes and heading to the bathroom. I got ready quickly not bothering with makeup and pulling my hair into a loose braid. I grabbed the bag Wanda had packed for me and the purse I hadn’t bothered to really use yet. I headed to the common area, flopping down on the sofa after dropping my bags on the floor.

“You should eat something before we leave Beck,” Seve called, walking into the common area toward the kitchen.

“Too early,” I groaned, “the thought of food is actually disgusting.” 

“Well I guess if we’re able to leave a little early we can stop for breakfast when we get close,” he suggested and I nodded, my eyes still closed. “In that case, if you’re ready let's get going,” he stated heading toward the elevator. I groaned again rolling off the couch and onto the floor, grabbing my bags as I stood. I followed Steve to the elevator and leaned against the wall while we waited for it to open. Wee stepped into the elevator and Steve called for it to take us to the garage. It descended quickly and opened into the large parking garage. I spotted Steve’s bike and several of Tony’s cars. Steve walked past all of them to a sleek black sedan pulling the keys out of his pocket and popping the trunk. We tossed our bags in and walked to our respective doors, I slid into the passenger side and buckled in before leaning back and closing my eyes. The car started and we pulled out of the underground parking and I dozed off.

“Beck come on, we’re gonna go eat,” Steve's voice roused me from sleep a while later. I grumbled rubbing the sleep from my eyes and stretched I looked around and we were parked outside of some sort of diner. I clicked the seatbelt off and grabbed my purse climbing out of the car and following Steve inside. We sat at an empty booth in the corner and waited for a server. An older woman strolled over placing menus and coffee cups in front of us both offering the carafe of coffee to us both, I shook my head but Steve nodded gratefully thanking her when she filled the mug.

“I’ll give you two a minute to figure out what you want,” she said and walked back behind the counter, setting the coffee pot in the warmer. I grabbed the menu, the laminated edges a bit sticky from syrup and opened it looking through the sections. I was still groggy looking at the choices trying to decide what sounded appetizing. I settled on waffles and laid the menu down on the table. I looked around seeing a few tables with patrons as well as the bar top, the vinyl on the booths were cracked and the stools were worn down, it was clearly well loved by people who came here and wasn’t packed this Monday morning.

“Alright sweetheart, you look like you’re ready, what would you like?” The waitress said setting a cup of ice water in front of me and grabbing a notepad out of her apron.

“Um the Waffle, with the strawberries and whipped cream,” I smiled and she grinned back.

“Would you like anything else to drink?” She asked, gesturing to the water and I shook my head.

“Ok perfect, and what about you handsome?” She asked Steve who ordered some ridiculously large breakfast platter.

“You’ve got it and would you like anything other than the coffee?” She asked scribbling down his order on the notepad and he shook his head as well. “Well then I will get that right out for you two,” she finished and headed off toward the kitchen.

“So how was dinner yesterday?” Steve asked quietly and I smiled.

“It was good, everyone was nice, and we had a good time, one of my cousins, James is obsessed with the Avengers, and history and you and my dad, so he had a ton of questions,” I rambled and he grinned.

“Yeah? How old is he?” He asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

“Sixteen and he goes to midtown,” I shrugged, “he said when he found out who he was named after that he did a lot of research into dad and you and the howling commandos,” I explained.

“Is he thinking about going into the service?” He asked casually.

“He’s in a wheelchair,” I explained and saw Steve freeze. “I didn’t ask why, didn’t want to pry, but when I told him about my dad's arm the first thing he asked was if I could find someone to cut off his legs and give him working prosthetics, which is horrifying.” I rambled again and Steve laughed.

“Your dad will probably say he sounds like me before,” he started and trailed off seeming to stare off into space.

“Oh I mean I can tell you that if you want, my dad used to tell me stories all the time and it wasn’t hard to figure out who it was about,” I teased and he looked at me with a grin. “Mick’s son Chris and his husband have 2 kids, Jenna is 4 she’s from Africa and I love her, she’s the sweetest. The first thing she did was walk up to me and tell me she liked my sweater and my hair and then climbed into my lap and sat with me until it was time to eat,” I continued watching surprise pass over his face before he smiled. “And before you try and tell me I can;t keep her, Wanda already did and I don’t actually want to keep her, I like being able to give her back,” I added and he laughed again. 

He opened his mouth to say something else when the waitress appeared with our plates stacked on her arm. She set them down and we thanked her before she was off again. We both dug into our food quietly, I knew we had to be on our way for whoever we were meeting this morning. He asked me a few more questions as we ate, about my family and dinner, he asked if they were kind to me. We finished quickly and the waitress appeared taking our plates and leaving the bill behind. Steve reached into his pocket pulling out some bills and setting them on top of the check. He stood and I followed as he headed to the car getting in the passenger seat and buckling in ready for the rest of the journey.

A while later we pulled into a large parking garage and left the car, Steve instructing me to leave my bag in the trunk as we wouldn’t be going to the hotel until later. He grabbed a large envelope from the glove compartment and I guessed it was my papers. I grabbed my purse and checked my phone seeing Wanda had texted me a good luck, I spotted something odd and grabbed it as I followed Steve out of the parking structure. One of the last photos of my mom and I together had been slipped into a small inner pocket of the bag and I silently thanked Wanda, tucking it away again. I followed Steve down the sidewalk and we moved along for a bit before he turned heading toward a large official looking building. 

“Steve! Wait!” I heard shouted from behind us, we both turned and I watched as a blonde woman ran toward us, an older couple following slowly behind her.

“Sharon, hey I didn’t know you would be in town,” Steve smiled and I looked between him and the woman.

“Well when you told me about the situation I figured I would look into it to help,” she stated coming to a stop and giving me a once over.

“Oh, well I think we’ve got it handled but-“ He started and she interrupted.

“She’s lying to you about who she is Steve.” ‘Sharon’ stated and I felt my heart stop before rage set in.

“Excuse me?” I asked incredulously, feeling my heart pound, adrenaline coursing in my rage at the audacity of the woman.

“The woman she claims is her mother didn’t have any children,” She stated glaring at me before looking at Steve, “I contacted her parents, they came all the way here to tell you,” she gestured to the couple standing behind her.

“Our Ann didn't’ have a child, she wasn’t even married,” the older man spoke up.

“Well that’s funny since you know I exist, also I never met either of you. Honestly as I got older I just assumed you were dead, since she told me she didn’t have a family,” I spat at the couple.

“We were estranged for a few years but a few months before she was murdered we began talking over the phone about every 2 weeks, she never mentioned a child,” the older woman snarled.

“Well we have copies of her documents that were kept by James' sister,” Steve explained to Sharon quietly, holding up the envelope, “also if she had mentioned she had a child, would you have stopped talking to her again?” Steve questioned the older couple who gasped in offense but didn’t refute him.

“Those documents are probably fake, you aren’t getting anything out of us and we won’t let you try and use our dead daughter for setting up some fake identity,” the man growled.

“I don’t want anything from you! Did you not hear me? I thought you were dead!” I shouted really losing my temper now, “I just want to be able to live my life and if you want to make it difficult then fine but I won’t give up!” I continued.

“Let me see those so called documents!” The woman practically squawked, reaching toward Steve who stepped back.

“Don’t she’ll probably rip them,” I grumbled, reaching into my purse and pulling out the photo, “this is my mother, I don’t want anything from these people they certainly aren’t my family,” I shoved the glossy paper into the blond woman’s hand and she looked at it in surprise, “we have an appointment to get to,” I turned and stormed off toward the building Steve following hesitantly behind me.

“This is photoshopped, no one is going to believe you you little bitch!” The woman shouted at me and I whipped back around charging toward her.

“Yeah! Let’s do a DNA test, here I’ll help you collect a sample!” I yelled charging toward her and Steve grabbed me around the waist picking me up off the ground so my feet dangled in the air, “LET ME GO!” I struggled trying to break his hold.

“Beck you need to calm down, I believe you, I know you aren’t lying to me. It’s ok, we’ll get everything taken care of, if we need to do a test we will, if we have to go to court we will, don’t worry about it,” Steve tried to sooth me and it began to work.

“This fake picture is garbage, just like you,” the man spat, tearing it.

“No!” I shouted, struggling harder and breaking Steve's grip, I scrambled across the sidewalk picking up the shreds of paper where he had dropped them. I let out a sob holding them in my cupped hands and looked up at the blonde woman standing there in shock.

“Thanks for the help,” I told her sarcasm dripping through my sobs. I opened my purse, putting the shreds of the picture into the small pocket to keep it safe, hoping I could fix it back at the tower. I pushed myself off the sidewalk and took a deep breath wiping my tears and trying to compose myself.

“Thanks for your ‘help’ Sharon,” I mumbled before looking up at Steve, “can we go now?” I asked him.

“Yeah, come on,” he murmured, putting his hand on my shoulder and leading me into the building. We went through security and as we stepped into a large lobby someone called out to him.

“Captain Rogers!” I looked to see an older man walking towards us and reaching out to shake Steve's hand. “Good to see you again,” the man told him as they shook hands.

“You too, thank you for doing this, this is Rebecca,” he introduced me to the man who reached to shake my hand as well.

“So you said it’s a bit complicated?” The man asked and Steve nodded.

“I’m afraid it just got more complicated, a friend of mine found her grandparents and they are claiming that their daughter never had a child,” Steve stated as we walked down a long hallway toward an elevator.

“Well what was originally complicated about it?” The man asked turning back toward Steve without missing a step.

“Hydra erased her from existence, her mother left behind a copy of her birth certificate and social security card with someone who kept it safe when she became suspicious someone was watching her,” Steve explained tapping the envelope against his hand.

“Ok well reinstating the documents and Social security will be easy, her mother's parents claiming she doesn’t exist I can't’ help with,” the man chuckled.

“We’ll have a private DNA test run, can’t risk enemies getting their hands on super soldier dna again,” Steve rambled as they stepped into a private elevator.

“Very true,” the man agreed as the elevator ascended. The car came to a stop and with a ding the doors opened. “Alright my office is right through here, let's take a look at these shall we,” he stated closing the door behind us and gesturing for us to sit in the chairs in front of the desk as he went to the oversized leather desk chair. 

“Here are the documents we recovered, like I said they are just copies,” Steve said, handing the man the envelope. He opened it looking at the two sheets of paper inside. 

“Ok, yes this is perfect actually, should make my job easy, other than putting these back in the system I can’t help you with the rest of it. You might have some luck with verifying footprints with the hospital or like you said doing a DNA test comparing with her grandparents’.” He shrugged as he furiously typed on the computer. “You were right there is absolutely nothing here, not even a trace that it had been tampered with,” he mumbled.

“I know, Maria Hill tried to find it,” Steve chuckled at the man's shocked expression. We fell into silence as the man continued tapping on the keyboard. I got lost in thought about my ‘grandparents’ being alive after I thought they were dead, or that they thought I was lying to get something from them when I didn’t even know they were alive to get anything from.

“Well, I’ve done all I can, anything else is up to you,” He nodded and put the documents back in the folder before standing, handing them to Steve and reaching out to shake his hand. He walked us back to the elevator leaving us with a “good luck.” 

We rode down to the ground floor in silence, my brain was still trying to comprehend everything that had happened in such a short time. When we exited the building through the lobby ‘Sharon’ and my ‘grandparents’ were nowhere to be seen thankfully we walked silently back to the parking garage and once we sat in the sedan Steve broke the silence.

“Are you ok?” he asked, turning toward me as he started the car.

“Yeah,” I answered with a nod, he put the car in reverse and started backing out of the parking space, “so she’s a friend of yours?” I asked after a moment.

“Yeah… she is,” he answered hesitantly.

“So is that the only thing we're doing today? Like we’re done already?” I continued as he pulled out onto the street.

“Well I do have an appointment later today and there was somewhere else I wanted to take you,” he shrugged and I nodded sitting back in my seat and looking out the window.

A while later we pulled into another parking garage and into a parking spot. We got out of the car and I started to head toward the exit when Steve opened the trunk of the car. I paused and watched as he pulled out a baseball cap and hooded jacket. He pulled both on and I lifted a brow in speculation.

“You do know that you are still completely recognizable right? Also where are we going that you don’t want to be recognized.” I questioned as he closed the trunk.

“You’ll see, come on, hopefully it's not too busy,” he said leading the way. We walked up the steps of the Smithsonian and through the door to a long line of people as well as a few school groups standing to the side. 

“I’m gonna say you’re out of luck there,” I murmured as we stepped into the back of the line and he rolled his eyes in response. We waited in the line as it moved slowly, I looked around trying to figure out what exactly we were there for but the few exhibits being advertised were certainly not it. We made it to the front and stood for a few moments until a voice called for the next in line. We approached the woman behind the counter who was looking down at her computer screen.

“Hi, how man-“ she began before she looked up cutting herself off. I could see the recognition in her eyes when she saw Steve, “Ca-“ she began when Steve cut her off.

“I’m just a normal guest today,” Steve pleaded with her, “It’ll just be the two of us,” he pointed to me before giving her a pleading smile and a nod.

“Of course Mr. Rogers, here you go you’re all set,” She told him handing him two passes before waving us through to the exhibits. Steve handed me one and led me to the entrance.

“So what did we come here for, cause I’m assuming its not to look at old airplanes,” I remarked looking at my surroundings.

“You would be right about that, but we will look at those, if you want of course,” Steve chuckled looking down at the pamphlet in his hand, “Come on, this way.” 

He lead me through the museum, past different exhibits that I briefly glanced at as we passed before we reached a wide entry to a different section and we turned into it.

_ “A symbol to the Nation, a hero to the world, the story of Captain America is one of honor, bravery and sacrifice,”  _ A recorded voice sounded through the entry to the exhibit, a screen showing the image of a flag waving in the wind.

“You brought me to an exhibit about yourself,” I teased, trying to hold back the overwhelming emotions I was feeling knowing what else would be here if they were talking about Steve. I could see he was trying to not roll his eyes as we walked past a giant mural of him saluting a flag.

“Just come on,” he told me as we continued through the linear exhibit of past photos and a lifesize display of him before and after the serum. A vintage motorcycle which he presumably rode during the war was on display, as well as mannequins dressed in the howling commandos uniforms, a giant mural of the team behind the mannequins, my father on Steve's left side.

_ “Battle tested, Captain America and his Howling Commandos quickly earned their stripes, their mission, taking down Hydra a Nazi Rogue science division,”  _ the recording played again. Everywhere I turned there seemed to be more photos of my father and Steve, some walls their built in screens playing videos and recordings of the two of them. Turning more I spotted a glass pane reading ‘A Fallen Comrade’ a photo of dad on it. As I stepped closer it lit up and the voice began speaking again.

_ “Best friends since childhood Bucky Barnes and Steven Rogers were inseparable on both schoolyard and battlefield. Barnes is the only howling commando to give his life in service of his country,”  _ the voice played and I looked down to see a screen with videos of my dad and his best friend playing in black and white. I wiped at the corner of my eye where I could feel tears pool as I stood there watching the videos loop. 

I’m not sure how long I stood there or how many times I watched the same clips play. Watching dad and Steve interact was almost surreal, I knew they were friends but until this point they had basically been completely separate entities in my life. I had seen photos of them together but this is so much different.

“Are you alright Beck?” Steve asked me quietly, setting his hand on my shoulder and giving it a squeeze, “you said your mom used to take you to the museum to see your dad,” he continued.

“”Yeah, um yeah I’m ok, I just miss him that’s all.” I whispered looking up at the portrait of his face in the glass.

“I know, so do I, but we’ll find him,” he tried to reassure me, giving my shoulder another comforting squeeze. We wandered through the rest of the exhibit as well as the rest of the museum before heading to the hotel where Steve checked us in and walked with me to the room before leaving for whatever meeting he had, I laid in one of the two beds and scrolled through my phone still trying to process the things that happened today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy this chapter, it was a bit difficult for me but I finally got it done and was happy with it.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A cute BuckyNat Flashback, feels, school and more feels

_ “Hello James, hello Rebecca,” I heard that all too familiar voice say, I was sitting on my small bed in my room reading to my father who sat on a chair next to my bed, my hair was unkempt and in a sad excuse for a ponytail. I looked up and smiled at Nat as she entered the room after a quick glance behind her into the hallway. _

_ “Hello Natalia,” my father mumbled before looking back at me and smiling. _

_ “Rebecca, did you do your own hair?” She questioned me looking very concerned at my tangled mess of a ponytail. _

_ “Yeah, my mommy used to do my hair, but she’s gone now. The mean men gave me a brush for it, and my teacher gave me a ponytail holder,” I answered with a shrug. Something I hadn’t noticed when I was so young was the haunted look full of guilt in my fathers eyes as I spoke so casually of my mothers murder and the Hydra agents that watched nearly our every move. _

_ “Come here, I’m going to teach you something,” she instructed and I laid the open book on my bed face down standing up already next to her in the small room. She moved so she stood behind my dad and he began to get up, looking behind himself toward her. _

_ “James sit back down, I’m trying to show her something,” she grumbled. He scowled at her for a moment before she gave him a smile and he turned back around in his chair with a huff. I approached her standing next to her behind my dad, “Do you know how to braid?” She asked and I shook my head, “ok well I’m going to show you, and you’re going to follow along,” she’s told me running her fingers through my fathers hair, untangling it before producing 2 hair ties and handing me one. _

_ “You’re going to take 3 sections, and make sure they’re the same size,” she instructed, grabbing a section of my dads brunette locks and dividing it into 3, I followed, doing the same struggling a bit with the unfamiliar motion. “Now you take one side and cross it over the middle, now that piece is the middle, and from the other side you cross that one over,” she instructed slowly, showing me the movements as she did and I struggled to follow along. “And you take the other side and you cross it over again, and you keep going, that’s right, you’ve got it,” she encouraged as she continued slowly and I mirrored her, “all the way down to the bottom and then, you take your band and you tie it off at the bottom,” she finished placing the hair tie into the short braid hanging awkwardly from the side of my fathers head I followed along, struggling to get the hair tie in. _

_ “Good job, try it again, it will get better,” she told me pulling the tie out of her braid and combing her fingers through my dad's hair. I pulled the tie out of his and went to do it again. _

_ “Becca, why don’t you try on your own hair,” he suggested seeming a bit annoyed. _

_ “Because James, its harder to do that on your own head, let her practice a few times, we aren't going to leave it,” Natalia scolded him, he simply huffed in response but sat still while I started the braid again, Nat watched me, moving behind me and pulling my hair out of its haphazard ponytail. She combed through it gently with her fingers before grabbing a small part on the top of my head. I finished the braid again and tied it off much more neatly this time and tilted my head straight up to look at her behind me smiling, waiting for her approval, “better, try again,” she nodded smiling at me as her fingers paused in their own work on my head. I turned back and pulled the tie from the braid letting it unravel and started again as Natasha continued to work through my hair. I finished the braid and tied it off this time nearly as polished as her’s had looked now that I was used to the movements. _

_ “Amazing, you pick up on things fast,” she praised and I smiled as she completed the work she was doing on my hair and tied it off, “now that you have that I’m going to show you one more thing, slouch down so she can reach,” she instructed patting my dad on the shoulder, he gave an exasperated huff but followed her instructions and she pulled the tie from the braid I had finished and handed it back to me. “Now we’re going to do a different braid, so we’re going to start with a little section up here,” she grabbed a small lock of hair at the top of dad’s head and I copied, his hair parted down the middle as always, I separated it into the three pieces mirroring Natalia. “You start it like the other one, you cross over one side, and then the other, before you cross over again, you’re going to take some of the hair that isn’t in the braid and add it to your section,” she instructed showing me. I tried to follow her seemingly effortless movement, struggling a bit before I got it.  _

_ “There you go, and then you do the same thing on the other side, you add more to your section before you cross it over,” she continued showing me slowly as we braided across the top of my fathers head, “your dad’s hair is a little too short to do it all the way down, so we’ll just do the top part, when you have all the hair added, you just finish the braid like the normal one and braid to the end and then tie it off,” she instructed braiding the tail of the hair and fastening it at the end as I did the same. “You know I think this is a good look for you, what do you think Rebecca?” She asked with a smirk. _

_ “I think he looks pretty,” I giggled watching him turn his torso towards me eyebrows raised. _

_ “I look pretty?” He asked in false shock, “oh I don’t think so,” he taunted before leaping from his chair and picking me up by my waist as I squealed before tossing me in the air several times and catching me again. He plopped me down onto my small bed and tickled me with his flesh hand as I squealed and giggled trying to squirm away. “Still think I look pretty?” He asked, stopping his onslaught. _

_ “Yes,” I giggled and he huffed, rolling his eyes and sitting back into his chair. _

_ “Take these out,” he instructed, pointing at the 2 small braids resting on the back of his head. Nat stepped forward from the corner of the room she had been watching the interaction from and pulled the ties from his hair. She looked at the 2 elastics in her palm before looking up at me with a smile and holding them out to me. _

_ “Here, you keep these, I’ve got to go alright,” she said as I held my hand out to her. She dropped them in my palm before heading toward the door, “see you later soldier, Rebecca,” she nodded and then she was gone, off down the hallway somewhere. _

I opened my eyes laying in bed as tears leaked down my face, my bangs stuck to my forehead and locks stuck to my cheeks from the tears. I rubbed at my eyes to try and stop the flood of emotions before sitting up and looking around my room. Over the last week I had been hit with these memories returning to me every night, including when Hydra found out about my father and Natalia's relationship as well as her soft spot for me. They took her away, and sent my father to The Chair and stole all of his memories of her, before warning me that bringing her up would have consequences. I leapt out of my bed the overwhelming urge to hit something overtaking me and I pulled open my drawers searching for the ‘training clothes’ Natasha helped me pick out yanking them on and grabbing my hair to pull it into a braid when a wave of sadness hit me and I shoved it down, roughly yanking my hair into a ponytail instead.

“Friday?” I asked the ceiling.

“Yes Miss?” She answered.

“How do I get to the training facility?” I asked the A.I.

“If you go to the elevator miss I will send it to the proper floor,” she answered me and I pulled on my training shoes before stalking out of my room as silently as possible knowing Steve could hear me and not wanting to wake him. I entered the elevator and let it take me where I wanted to be, hoping there was something that I could hit in there. The elevator doors opened and I stepped out into a large open room full of equipment. I saw exactly what I wanted, I didn’t have the patience to look for gloves or tape and I stalked straight to the bag before I began unleashing all of my rage on it. I got lost in the motions not thinking or feeling, only the release of the energy and pain, I’m not sure how long I’d been at it.

“Couldn’t sleep?” A voice called out from behind me. I whipped around, still in my stance ready to attack and I saw Clint leaning against the far wall watching me, he put his hands up in surrender and I dropped my fists.

“No, I had a dream and I just needed to do something,” I answered with a sigh, wiping the sweat from my forehead.

“Nightmare?” He asked, stepping further into the room.

“No, aren’t you supposed to be at home with your family and your very pregnant wife?” I asked and he shrugged.

“I have some business in the city in the morning so I decided to come and stay for the night, got in late,” he explained, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

“Ah,” I acknowledged his explanation, walking to a water cooler against the wall and filling a small paper cup.

“So what was the dream about? Had to be something important or upsetting to get you to murder a punching bag,” he prodded.

“I’ve been having a lot of dreams like this one recently and it’s just starting to get to me, they aren’t really dreams, they’re memories,” I answered turning back toward him after crushing the paper cup and tossing it into the nearby garbage bin, he simply watched me and gave me a nod to continue, I did with a sigh, “I knew her.”

“Natasha? Oh I know,” he informed me casually at my nod of confirmation.

“Seriously?” I asked irritation radiating from my voice.

“Yeah, Nat told me,” he answered, rubbing the back of his neck, “she didn’t think you remembered her though.”

“I didn’t,” I explained, “until the night we came back from Sokovia.”

“So what about it has you so upset? That she didn’t say anything?” He asked.

“No, do you know what they did when they found out that she cared about us? That my father and I were feeling an emotion other than misery or rage?” I asked and he shook his head.

“They sent her away and then they sent my dad to The chair and took all of his memories of her before they threatened me that if I brought her up the consequences would be severe. Now that I am remembering her, I’m also remembering why I forgot her. After she left it was like losing my mom all over again, when she was around it was like I had 2 parents, I had an actual family, not just mom or just dad and then they found out and it was ripped away.” I sobbed and Clint stepped forward wrapping me into a hug rubbing my sweaty back comfortingly.

“You didn’t hear it from me but she felt the same way, well like she lost her lover and her daughter,” he whispered

“Ew, please don’t use that word when referring to my father,” I said scrunching my nose in disgust as Clint laughed.

“You should tell her, that you remember,” he suggested.

“I will just, not yet, can you please not say anything to her?” I asked. 

“It’s not my secret to tell,” he nodded and I gave him a weak smile wiping the tears from my cheeks. “Now don’t you have to be at school in the morning?” He asked me crossing his arms over his chest.

“Oh, that’s today? Wait how did you even know about that?” I asked him.

“Steve was talking to me about it,” he smiled, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

“Does everyone tell you everything?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes, yes they do, come on lets get you back to your room so you can go back to bed,” he instructed, leading me toward the elevator. We rode back to the resident floor and he took me all the way to my bedroom door, “try and get some more sleep,” he instructed patting me on the shoulder before walking away. I did just that closing the door behind me and climbing back in bed.

_ “Miss Barnes, I am waking you since i thought you may want to take a shower after your midnight workout before your appointment this morning,” _ the lilting irish voice called from above rousing me from sleep, I stretched my arms over my head, my hands balling into fists and I flinched at the sting in my knuckles. I examined them after I sat up and they were healed the skin still fresh and pink. I threw the covers off of me and headed into the bathroom starting the shower and leaning against the vanity staring at myself in the mirror for a moment. I took a deep breath before peeling myself out of the work out gear that was sticking to my skin and I stepped into the shower hoping to wash everything away.

When I finished I put on makeup and got dressed before quickly drying my hair, letting it fall in its natural waves. I headed to the kitchen and made myself a bowl of cereal sitting on one of the stools at the island to eat. Steve walked in a few moments later heading straight to the coffee maker. He made himself a mug of coffee before turning around and leaning against the counter, taking a sip.

“You ready for today?” He asked after a moment and I stopped chewing my mouthful of cereal.

“I mean not really,” I replied after swallowing the food in my mouth.

“Oh come on I’m sure you’ll have a great time,” Steve insisted, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Being around large groups of people nearly every day for, what like nine months, does not sound like a good time,” I retorted and the look on his face said this was the first time he was realizing just how many people I would be around.

“Hey so we all set to go?” Tony asked, stepping into the room suddenly wearing a worn down t-shirt with a blazer over it. I nodded when he looked at me and quickly finished what was left of my cereal. Steve took a few more sips of his coffee while I put my bowl and spoon in the dishwasher before following and pouring out the remainder of the coffee into the sink and setting the mug in the dishwasher as well. “Alright party people let's get this show on the road, Happy’s waiting with the car,” Tony waved us toward the elevator. We rode down in silence to the ground floor and through the lobby of the building, we stepped out of the glass doors following Tony toward a black town car parked against the sidewalk.

“Excuse me,” A woman said, stepping in front of Steve and I so she was between us and Tony, “Are you Steven Rogers and Rebecca Barnes?” she asked and Steve put his arm out in front of me, pushing me back protectively.

“Do you really not know who I am, and may I ask why you’re asking,” Steve shot back tensley.

“I need a yes or no,” She responded roughly ignoring his question.

“Yes but you already knew that,” he growled in annoyance.

“Great, you’ve been served,” She told us, handing Steve a thick manila envelope before holding out a clipboard and pen for him to sign something. He took it with a huff signing it and practically throwing it back at her, “have a great day,” she told him sounding sarcastic.

“What does that mean?” I asked Steve when she walked away.

“It means- she’s been camping out here for days hoping to get you both leaving out the front doors at the same time to give you the court request from grandma and grandpa dearest,” Tony said walking toward us, a man with a salt and pepper goatee and curly hair I had never seen before half a pace behind him. “Come on, we’ll look through that while we wait for her, and don’t you dare worry about this and get distracted alright we will get this taken care of and you know a DNA test will prove who you really are,” Tony tried to reassure me grabbing the envelope from Steve and using it to wave us toward the car while he grabbed his phone out of his pocket and began tapping the screen. I climbed into the third row as Steve and Tony took the back. I watched as the other man slid into the driver's seat and pulled away from the curb.

“So you guys knew she was here and who she was?” I asked as Tony continued tapping on the phone.

“Yes we did, we knew it had to be done eventually and we knew today was the perfect time. It’s best to just get this out of the way,” Tony explained still tapping away on his phone not even looking up.

“What if after the results prove who I am they want me to live with them?” I ask knowing whatever they would put me through would be nothing compared to HYDRA but it wasn’t where I wanted to be.

“Well you’re going to be 18 in a few months and with what Friday found on these people I’m pretty sure when they find out you were born on halloween they’ll head for the hills, plus the court will take what you want into account sine you’re nearly an adult and capable of making your own decisions. Now like I said, clear your mind, don’t think about it, we’ll get it all taken care of, just focus on doing this test, yeah?” Tony stated finally turning to look toward me.

“Okay,” I told him with a nod and after a deep breath I looked out the window watching as we slowly passed through the city. I leaned back in the seat trying to get comfortable and relax in the smaller back seat. We rode through the city for twenty minutes before the man driving pulled up to a building pulling into a parking spot near the entrance and putting the car in park, Steve was instantly out of the back seat, Tony following after him before turning around to lower the seat so I could get out but I had already climbed over, my scuffed sneakers landing on the leather seat.

“Oh come on, what are you an animal?” Tony complained as I hopped onto the sidewalk beside him. “Those are real leather, where is the respect,” he ranted as he leaned over brushing the shoe print off the seat. 

“What it’s faster that way,” I shrugged as Tony closed the door.

“Alright alright come on,” Tony rolled his eyes waving us toward the front steps. I followed behind Tony as the man I still hadn’t been introduced to took up the rear.

“Hi, I’m Rebecca,” I said to the man after I turned around walking backwards down the hall, holding my hand out to the curly haired man.

“Happy, Happy Hogan,” he replied, shaking my hand. I turned back so I was walking forward but slowed my pace so I was walking beside him instead of ahead of him.

“So you’re like Tony’s chauffeur?” I asked him, putting my hands in the back pocket of his jeans.

“Head of security and occasionally I drive him places when he doesn’t want to drive himself,” he corrects me.

“A superhero needs a bodyguard?” I asked with an arched eyebrow.

“No the CEO of the world's leading tech company needs a bodyguard, he’s with Pepper most of the time,” Tony corrected as he turned into a door marked as ‘main office’.

“Hello how can I help you?” A middle aged woman sitting behind the large counter just in front of the door asked without looking up from her computer.

“Yes, we’re here for Miss Barnes placement test and I’m meeting with the principal and superintendent about a donation,” Tony told the woman who finally looked up at hearing the voice of _ the  _ Tony Stark.

“Oh, yes of course Mr Stark,” She said looking at Tony before catching sight of Steve, “Captain Rogers, I wasn’t aware you were going to be here as well,” she rambled looking between Steve and Tony.

“Well I am Rebecca’s guardian, Tony just set up the test and enrollment for us,” he answered the woman who looked like she was going to faint at any moment.

“Of course sir,” she answered with a nod.

“So should we get this test and the meeting started?” Tony asked expectantly as 2 men walked out of a door near the back of the office.

“Mr Stark, it’s wonderful to meet you, I’m Principal Morita,” the man said walking toward Tony holding his hand out for a handshake, Tony looked at the mans hand scrunching his nose in disgust, “Captain Rogers, great to meet you as well,” he turned toward Steve who did give the man a reluctant handshake before the man turned toward me, “you must be Rebecca, it’s great to meet you, one of our councelors will be giving you your placement test today,” he told me as the other man behind him spoke to Tony quietly. 

“Just so you know when the school year starts in the fall you will not be able to wear that to your classes,” Principal Morita said suddenly and I looked at him furrowing my brow in confusion and looking down at my outfit, a black croptop and jeans, it was simple.

“Why would that be?” I asked him in confusion.

“Tops that show midriff or skirts more than 5 inches above the knee are not permitted in school, they are inappropriate,” he answered.

“And why is it inappropriate?” I asked.

“It is distracting to other students and not appropriate for an academic setting,” he answered flatly.

“I’m not sure I understand your meaning. Or what is distracting about the sliver of my stomach or back that people can see, it’s not like you can even see my bellybutton,” I replied and the man seemed to be a bit shocked that was when Steve noticed and decided to step in.

“Ok, yes, thank you it's understood, we’ll um, yes we understand,” he told the man as another woman entered the office.

“Hello, would you happen to be Miss Barnes?” She asked cheerily and I nodded in response, “Alright great I’m Miss Hall, I’ll be doing your placement test today, are you ready to head to my office?” She continued.

“Um, yeah sure,” I answered looking back toward Steve who gave me a reassuring smile. I turned back toward the woman and went to follow her when Tony spoke up.

“Happy, you go with Miss Teen USA over there please, we’ll be in here, I’ll call if you’re needed,” he instructed and I rolled my eyes at my new nickname while Happy nodded waving for Miss Hall to lead the way. We followed her around a couple of corners and into a small cozy office where she had a smaller desk set up in front of her own a packet of paper already on it.

“Alright so we’ve got this for you which is basically final exams of all our core classes, this will just let us know where you are academically and what will be able to be credited and what you will need to take in order to graduate,” she explained picking up a pencil out of a cup on her desk as I sat down and she handed it to me. 

Happy had taken a seat at a cushioned chair in front of her desk and had produced a book from somewhere. “Just take your time and answer what you know and we’ll take a look at it when you’re done,” Miss Hall told me rounding her desk and sitting down in the rolling chair before typing away on the computer.

After I finished the first packet, which seemed to be just math, I was handed another science this time. It continued like this until I had finished 4 tests, 3 had gone well, I had breezed through them. They were things I knew, the last I could only answer a few questions. She had reviewed them as I finished so Happy and I waited as she looked through the last one before she picked up her phone and spoke quickly and quietly into it. She gave us a bright smile before drumming her fingers on the desk waiting silently. A minute later there was a knock at the door before Principal Morita opened the door ushering in Steve who sat down on the other cushioned chair in front of Miss Hall's desk while Mr. Morita went and stood beside Miss Hall.

“So she has passed both Math and Science with flying colors, perfect scores on both, she will need to take grade 12 english,” she jumped right into it looking between Steve and I, “Unfortunately it looks like she knew absolutely nothing from the Social Studies portion, other than the few questions about communist governments.” she trailed off looking confused.

“Ha, yeah I did,” I chuckled, earning a warning look from Steve, I pinched my lips together, ‘locking them with a key’ he turned back toward Miss Hall with a sigh.

“She will need to take remedial level classes in order to catch up, I would suggest doing so before next school year starts.” She continued.

“You mean I have to go to Summer School?” I asked flatly.

“How do you even know what Summer school is?” Steve asked, his arms crossed over his chest.

“Wanda and I have been watching american teen movies,” I shrugged.

“Well the only other classes she would need to take in order to graduate would be Health class and Gym,” She added and I jolted upright.

“Um I’m a supersoldier and an Avenger, I’m literally trained in multiple forms of hand to hand combat, I do not need to take gym class,” I told them.

“We do understand this and unfortunately this is a State requirement in order for you to graduate. We are already working with Captain Rogers and Mr. Stark in order to make accommodations for your life and what you have missed as well as potentially graduating early. With that being said, ‘summer school’ as you called it we can have that set up for you as soon as tomorrow, it would all be online so as long as you have a computer and internet you don’t need to come into the school at all, you can ask any questions through the electronic classroom and a teacher will answer, we will send the information to your email as soon as we get it set up and you can do the work at your leisure so long as it is done before the school year begins.” Miss Hall explained looking between Steve and I again as he nodded along.

We were finally released and headed out of the small office back toward the entrance of the school, Tony joining us when we passed the main office. They had given me a folder of the information I would need for my online classes and sent us on our way. Once we were back in the SUV Tony was tapping away on his phone again and Steve looked over at him, bouncing his leg impatiently.

“So how’d the test go?” Tony asked me, still tapping away on his phone.

“Good, I aced everything except history, she said the only questions I got right on that portion were the ones about communism,” I answered, picking at my nails in the back seat. Tony let out a surprised laugh before absolutely losing it, setting his phone down on the seat next to him.

“That… that is absolute gold but not unexpected,” he said between chuckles.

“Did you know I would have to take gym class?” I asked him.

“Yeah, just try to not leave everyone in the dust too bad,” he shrugged, “oh and no joining sports teams, that just seems like, not an unfair advantage per-se, but sure let's go with that,” he added.

“Do I seem like a team player to you?” I asked him and he let out another chuckle while Steve turned giving me a disapproving look.

Once we returned to the tower Natasha appeared beside me telling me to get workout gear on and to meet her in the training facility. I grumbled silently but followed her instructions and got changed. We worked on ‘defensive techniques’ for hours before she decided it was time to spar, I tried to concentrate on not injuring her or using all of my strength but it was clear without it I was not a match for the infamous black widow. 

She finally decided it was enough and I silently thanked whatever god decided to have mercy on me. I headed back to my room for yet another shower and washed away the sweat before heading to the kitchen to see what was for dinner. I spotted Steve leaning against the counter watching something on the stove and nearly turned around to find Wanda to have her make us something until he caught me.

“Don’t worry I didn’t make it, Wanda just asked me to watch the stove for a moment, she said she had to go do something and she would only be gone a minute and that I was ‘only needed in the unlikely event that something caught fire’” he called from the stove and I tried my best to look apologetic but I was sure it wasn’t working. He rolled his eyes and looked away and I sat at the counter as Wanda returned with a smile and Steve walked away from the stove.

“Don’t go too far Captain, it will only be a few more minutes,” she called over her shoulder.

“Wasn’t planning on it,” he answered sitting down on the couch and flipping the T.V. on switching it to the news, “and I’ve told you before, it’s only Captain in the field Wanda,” he added as he set the remote on the coffee table before leaning back against the cushions.

“So how did school go?” Wanda asked me quietly, turning off one of the burners and pulling a baking sheet out of the oven.

“I have to take summer school classes, for history,” I told her, trying to suppress a grin. I knew it would happen, it was just funny to me at this point.

“So you won’t be coming with us when we go to the new facility?” She asked quietly.

“No I will, this is online,” I answered.

“Ok, so what else do you need to take?” She asked turning the remaining burner off on the stove.

“I passed everything else, I just need to take English and Gym plus whatever ‘social studies’ classes they put me in,” I shrugged.

“Well that's good,” she smiled as she placed things across the counter for people to serve themselves. “Friday, will you let everyone know dinner is ready,” she requested to the ceiling.

“ _ Of course Miss Maximoff, _ ” Friday answered from above.

“You two leave some for everyone else,” she gestured between Steve and I with a set of tongs as she got herself a plate. I stuck my tongue out at her and she snapped the tongs at me before we both giggled. I rushed around the large island cutting past Steve and grabbing a plate Wanda had set out. “Is Clint still here?” I asked remembering our conversation earlier.

“No, he already headed back home, he just had to take care of something here,” Steve answered, grabbing a plate before looking up at me in confusion, “How did you know he was here?” He asked.

“Oh, I had a weird dream and was wandering around at like 3am, he found me and we talked and then he sent me back to bed,” I explained rolling my eyes as I filled my plate. Tony entered the kitchen at that moment before spotting Steve and I already filling our plates.

“Wanda, why would you tell the super soldiers there was food before the normal people,” he practically whined. With a sigh he rounded the island and grabbed a plate.

“I didn't, they were sitting here watching me finish cooking like vultures,” she answered him as she cut into her meal.

“Of course they were,” he grumbled quietly as I sat next to Wanda and Nat entered the kitchen followed by Thor, who I forgot was still on the planet. Everyone sat and ate, talking periodically and I helped Nat clean up and do the dishes when everyone was done. I went to my room after and turned on the TV flipping through channels to find something to watch.

Hours later, I turned the TV off and stood to go find a snack, thinking about the box of microwave popcorn I had seen in the pantry I started toward the door when my phone rang and I paused. I picked it up from where I had left it on my bed and looked at the screen that read ‘UNKNOWN NUMBER’ I was confused for a moment but thinking it could be one of my cousins I picked it up.

“Hello?” I asked after it connected it was silent on the other line, “Hello?” I questioned again thinking maybe whoever it was hadn’t heard me the first time. I was about to hang up when I heard a shuddering sob on the other end and my heart plummeted from my chest, “Dad?” I asked and heard another gasping sob on the other end this time it sounded more like relief.

“You’re ok… you’re alive, I miss you dad so so much,” I rambled trying to keep it together in this moment since it sounded like he needed reassurance, “Uncle Steve found me, I’m living with him now, we’re looking for you dad, we both miss you,” I murmured into the phone taking a deep breath to hold back all of the emotions I was feeling, they could come out once he was off the phone, he didn’t need to hear them.

“I’m going to go to school in the fall, it’ll be my ‘senior year’ I hope you’re able to be here for it, but take your time, just know you have a home here and no one is going to let you get hurt.” I tried to reassure him and heard him take in a panicked breath.

“It’s ok, you don’t need to rush if you aren’t ready, just don’t go, please, not yet… I thought I would never get to talk to you again, or see you again. When they realized you were gone, they sent me away, I ended up in Sokovia I guess. That’s not important right now though, um lets see well Aunt Becca is gone, I’m sorry, but her kids Ceci and mick accepted me into the family and they’re great. You have a namesake, James, he’s a lot like uncle Steve when he was smaller, he’s in a wheelchair and when I told him about your arm and how you survived he immediately asked if I could find someone to give him legs like that which is completely terrifying,” I rambled, I could hear his breathing evening out and I smiled but then I worried that he would hang up soon.

“I love you dad, I just want to let you know that,” I told him a few tears slipping down my cheeks. I sat in silence for a moment, not sure what to say.

“Love you, my Becca,” I heard whispered from the other end before the line went dead. I felt my heart break all over again as the tears began to fall now that he couldn’t hear me I let out a sob before coming back to myself.

“Friday, please tell me you were tracking that,” I demanded from the ceiling.

“Yes Miss Barnes, unfortunately the signal has been bounced all over, the best I can do is tell you the call came from somewhere in Europe,” the AI answered.

“Don’t you block unknown calls?” I asked.

“Yes miss normally, I had a suspicion it may be Sergeant Barnes,” Friday answered and I came to my senses suddenly and jumped to my feet rushing from my room and to the one right next door banging on the wood harshly.

“Uncle Steve!” I yelled cringing hoping he hadn’t been sleeping.

“What's wrong Beck,” He asked worriedly, pulling the door open wearing only his pajama bottoms and looking very confused and half asleep.

“Dad just called me,” I breathed out holding my phone up. He blinked as he processed what I said.

“You’re sure?” he asked cautiously.

“I heard him when I answered it sounded like he had been having a nightmare and I could tell it was him, I talked to him, helped him calm down, told him it was safe to come home, but I didn’t want to push him and make him hang up. But he’s alive, he’s still out there,” I rambled and I heard a door down the hall open followed by light footsteps and I was enveloped in Wanda's comforting arms.

“He didn’t say anything though?” Steve asked as I began sobbing again.

“He told her he loved her before he hung up,” Wanda drawled, pulling me closer to her while I cried silently into her shoulder.

“Friday I need Tony and Natasha to meet us in the conference room ASAP,” Steve commanded the ceiling.

“Of course Captain Rogers,” Friday answered before Wanda was gently guiding me toward the elevator. The door to Nat’s room opened as we passed it and she rushed out into the hallway.

“Steve, what the hell is happening?” she asked, looking confused at my teary face.

“He called her,” Steve answered.

“He-” she said almost confused before she thought about it and it seemed to click in her head, “How?” 

“We’re going to figure it out in the conference room,” he told her as we approached the elevator and the doors opened automatically, Friday having already called it. We stepped off the elevator when the doors reopened and Tony stood there looking irritated just outside of the conference room.

“What the hell Rogers?” He grumbled, Steve ignored him, pushing the door opened and we all followed him in. Wanda pulled out a seat and sat me down next to Natasha before sitting on the other side of me. “What’s going on?” Tony asked again, still standing.

“Bucky called her,” Steve sighed in annoyance at Tony, gesturing toward me.

“Friday, how did that call come through, did you track it and how was her number found?” Tony demanded to the ceiling.

“I had a feeling the call was from Sergeant Barnes and did not block it, I did attempt to track it but the call was rerouted through several countries, with the duration of the call I was not able to complete the tracking. Since Miss Barnes was only a civilian when she received her cell phone it is not encrypted and I was not directly installed onto the phone, the number is not easily obtained but it is possible to find it,” Friday explained.

“Barnes was trained to hack and obtain information if needed, it wouldn’t have been difficult for him,” Nat stated, reaching over and grabbing my hand.

“Well we’ll have to get her an encrypted phone, change her number, if he can get her information, anyone can and we can’t have that happening,” Tony rambled pacing the length of the conference room.

“No, we can’t, I can’t,” I interrupted, “he was having a panic attack when he called me, what if he needs to talk to me, what if he decides he wants to come home, I have to be able to talk to him,” I panicked, Tony stared at me for a second before looking over at Steve 

“She’s right, she should be able to talk to him and if he needs to talk to her for any reason, it may help him not to run. Would we be able to protect her number or make it unlisted so people can’t find it?” Steve suggested and Tony sighed.

“Friday,” he called.

“On it boss,” the voice replied.

“What is the number he called from?” Tony asked, pulling his phone from his pocket and turning it over in his hands.

“It just said unknown,” I shrugged, wiping my cheeks.

“Friday, did you get it?” he asked.

“Yes boss, it is, as they call it a ‘burner phone’ that has had the gps chip removed, the number has already been deactivated and the device turned off, the number is from Germany but that is not necessarily where Sergeant Barnes is,” Friday spoke from above.

“Well lets hope he can remember the number or he wrote it down somewhere…” Tony mumbles before turning to Steve, “you… figure this out with your friend, with the bird wings and i’m going back to my lab,” he grumbles before giving me a somewhat sympathetic smile and leaving the room. We all sat silently for a moment.

“Did he say anything?” Nat asked quietly.

“Not at first, I only knew it was him because I could hear him gasping and sobbing, then he told me he loves me before he hung up,” I whispered and the silence hung heavy in the air.

“How about we go watch a movie, yeah?” Nat suggested rubbing her hand up and down my back.

“Sure,” I agreed with a shrug and we all stood except for Steve.

“I’m gonna call Sam, thank you for telling me Beck,” he smiled before he stood and wrapped me in a tight hug, and whispered reassuringly, “it’s gonna be ok, we  **_will_ ** find him.”

He released me from the tight hug. Nat wrapped her arm around my shoulder and Wanda grabbed my hand as we all walked to the screening room. We sat on one of the ridiculously comfortable and probably ridiculously expensive sofas, the black leather insanely comfortable and cushions so soft it was like being wrapped in a gentle hug, Wanda had made popcorn at the snack bar and we had all grabbed drinks from the fridge before Nat sat me on the middle cushion with her and Wanda on either side of me. 

She was scrolling through the movie collection and I leaned over cuddling into her side. The more I remembered of the time we spent together the when I was young the closer I wanted to be to her now, Even in the short time she had been around when I was young she had become a mother to me. I wasn’t ready to talk to her about what I remembered, but I would, I needed to at some point. I listened to her and Wanda discussing movies in Russian, something they had started doing regularly, both more comfortable with their first language. They decided on a movie after a quick discussion about Genres and what sort of movie would be best to watch at the moment an upbeat comedy began playing on the projector screen and Nat sat down the remote before setting her bowl of popcorn more firmly in her lap and turning so she was somewhat diagonal on her cushion and rested her arm over my shoulder. As the movie played I relaxed and Nat ran her fingers through my hair comforting me and relaxing me more. I don’t remember the end of the movie, the last thing I remember is Wanda laying down on the couch practically on top of me, her head resting against my side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think and as always thanks for reading.


	11. Chapter11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, sorry for disappearing, the holidays stress me out like no other and I had writers block to the extreme, I hope you enjoy!

I jolted awake with a pain in my side and a crick in my back, something heavy resting against my hip. I opened my eyes to find I wasn’t in my room but the screening room. I blinked a few times before taking in more of my surroundings, the weight against my hip was Wanda who was laying on top of me, her head against the bottom of my ribs. I looked up to find Nat had shifted to get more comfortable, her head laying on the arm of the sofa and my head now resting against her hip. I tried to shift and carefully as I could to not disturb the other two but trying to find a way to lay that would relieve the pressure in my back. The small bit I was able to move helped as I had just been laying in the same spot for too long and I closed my eyes again trying to relax.

The door opened suddenly and loudly making all of us jump, jolting Nat and Wanda awake. I sat up turning to look at the door seeing Steve sigh and physically relax.

“Where's the fire?” Nat asked, voice thick with annoyance and sarcasm.

“I’m sorry I couldn't’ find Beck and then I couldn’t find you or Wanda. I've been looking everywhere for you all,” he apologized but still sounded a bit accusatory.

“Did you ask Friday?” I asked him, raising my brows at him. He paused for a moment then looking between the three of us.

“Well no, I didn’t think of that,” he responded.

“She would have told you right where we were,” I told him.

“Yes I know, I just, I didn’t think of it… I don’t know,” he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

“You thought she convinced me to take off to Europe to search for Barnes,” Nat deadpanned, calling him out.

“That thought may have crossed my mind,” he admitted.

I felt hurt, I wouldn’t just run out after my father, no matter how much I wanted to. Though honestly it was only because I didn’t know exactly where he was. If the area was even narrowed down a little I might have, but all of Europe? That's just too much space to cover.

“Well you know better than that, with me at least. You know I’m not going to run in blind, I certainly don’t have enough information,” she scolded the blond man.

“I know, I just, I couldn’t find any of you and after last night that's where my first thought went,” he explained apologetically. I stretched my limbs and back quickly before standing from the couch and walking towards the door and Steve.

“Thanks for being worried, but I’m sad you thought I would run off like that,” I told him, wrapping him in a hug.

He froze for a moment before returning it and I released him after a few seconds heading out of the screening room and off toward my bedroom. I laid down in my bed stretching out and pulled my phone out of the pocket of my sweatpants to plug it in. 

_ “Miss Barnes, there is a James Stone and Megan Jones here to see you,”  _ Friday said from above me, and I sat up confused.

“Um ok Friday, let them up please,” I called back to the ceiling, still confused, I got out of bed, grabbing a sweatshirt and pulling it over my head before rushing out of my room toward the elevator. I approached just as the door opened and Megan stepped out James rolling out behind her.

“Woah,” he whispered looking around at the high ceilings and the wall of windows.

“Hey what are you guys doing here?” I asked them, shoving my hands in the pocket of my hoodie.

“Well my mom was driving me nuts so I texted Meg and drove her nuts until she agreed to come with me to drive you nuts,” James said with a mischievous grin.

“Shouldn’t you guys be at school?” I asked and they both looked at me like I was crazy.

“It’s Saturday,” Megan laughed.

“Well then shouldn’t you both be asleep still, it’s only like,” I looked around before spotting the clock on the microwave in the kitchen, “10:30, don’t you sleep in on the weekend?” 

“I mean yeah a little but like I said my mom was driving me nuts so I called Meg and woke her up and made her come with me to annoy you,” James grinned.

“Hey Beck, what are you doing standing by the elevator,” Steve's voice came from the stairs to the catwalk just above the elevator, where Megan and James were just out of view.

“I’ve got visitors,” I told him as he reached the bottom of the steps and rounded toward me where he could finally see James and Megan standing there. James now sitting in his chair, his jaw dropped in shock.

“Ohh my god you’re Captain Rogers,” he practically whispered, voice shaky.

“Hi, you must be James,” Steve smiled his award winning smile, nearly oblivious to how obsessed the boy sitting in the wheelchair in front of him was with him and his history and heroism.

“Captain America knows my name,” he mumbled practically in a trance.

“Well of course I do, you’re Becky’s great grandson and Becky was practically my sister,” Steve chuckled before looking toward Megan who was giggling into her hand at James reaction. 

“And you’re Megan, right?” He asked with a nod and she gave him a returning nod of confirmation. “It also helps that Becca gave me an overview of everyone,” Steve added, looking at James with a grin. This seems to short circuit Jame’s brain even more and I think he may have stopped breathing. I put my hand in his face, snapping my fingers twice and he blinks a few times before giving me a scowl and pushing my hands away.

“Hello James, hello Megan, would you two like breakfast?” Wanda asked as she entered the common area. I turned around and looked at her as she swept into the kitchen, the flared skirt of her dress swaying with her steps and her thin cardigan flowing behind her with her hair. “Come you can stay here with me while Becca gets changed,” she waves them toward her not waiting for an answer about food as she pulls things out of the fridge, “go put clothes on Rebecca,” she instructs when she turns around and finds me still standing there.

I roll my eyes walking back toward my bedroom and pulling off the hoodie I had put on to greet them at the elevator. I toss the hoodie onto my bed before grabbing clothes and pulling my hair out of the half fallen out ponytail I had slept in. I brushed through my hair and changed my clothes before making myself look hopefully somewhat presentable and not like I had slept on a couch, my eyes were still a bit puffy, with that day after a late night cry swelling. I pulled my hair back away from my face and fixed my fringe before heading back to the kitchen where Wanda was standing at the stove plating food and James and Megan sat at the dining table, one of the chairs tucked into the corner to make room for his chair.

“Do you need help?” I asked Wanda, quietly entering the kitchen behind her. She nodded toward the plates sitting beside the stove already filled with food.

“Take those to your cousins,” she instructed and I grabbed the two plates walking them over and sitting them down on the dining table. I sat in a seat next to Megan and waited while Wanda finished cooking watching as the other 2 dug into their food. 

“So what do you two want to do?” Wanda asked, setting a plate in front of me before sitting down on the other side of the table beside James.

“Don’t know, just wanted to annoy Becca, maybe rub elbows with some avengers,” James tried to shrug nonchalantly and Megan snorted.

“That would require you to actually be able to talk to them when they entered a room,” Meg retorted and I laughed. The elevator dinged and Tony stepped out looking down at his phone, not paying attention and not noticing the two guests.

“Hey, Kimmy Schmidt, you’re pretty mechanical right, and you’ve got small hands, yeah?” He asked, still not looking up. I just rolled my eyes. He had watched some new show on Netflix the other night and decided I reminded him of the main character.

“I mean yeah, kinda depends on how sophisticated it is though, like your level of mechanical or normal peoples’?” I asked and he stopped leaning against the opposite end of the table.

“Yes, but you’re smart and I’m sure you could figure it out, I just need to rewire something and I can’t exactly take it apart,” he replied with a shrug before finally looking up from his phone and seeing the two unfamiliar teens both staring at him in shock.

“More kids, eating my food? Did Cap adopt more super children? If so we’re gonna need to have a conversation. You know what? Do you two eat as much as her?” He rambled before pointing at me and my significantly fuller plate of breakfast. Both of them shook their heads no, still slack faced in their surprise of being in the presence of the Tony Stark. “Ok well in that case, that's fine, you can stay, but no more understood?” he asked looking at me again.

“Hey, I didn’t invite them, they just showed up,” I held my hands up in defence. He rolled his eyes rounding the table into the kitchen and pulled a plate out of the cupboard adn a fork from the drawer before coming back over to me and taking half of my food from my plate.

“Hey!” I protested but didn’t reach up to stop him.

“Thanks for breakfast Wanda,” he called behind him as he headed toward the elevator, “And when you’re done eating come up to my lab!” he added to me. We all listened as the elevator doors opened and closed again.

“That was…. That... Tony Stark,” James stammered and Wanda and I laughed. Megan just sat there still trying to wrap her head around what just happened.

“If you guys are gonna hang out with me here you’re gonna have to figure out how to be cool around the avengers, cause like this is avengers tower, they literally live here you’re going to see them.” I said wiping at my watering eyes as my laughter died.

“Yes if you keep coming around you’ll probably see all of them quite often,” Wanda agreed, “hurry up and eat though, Tony is impatient and will come back if he thinks we take too long, or he will try to do it himself and break something or hurt himself,” she instructed.

Once we were done eating I put the dishes into the sink, telling Wanda I would do them when I was done helping Tony and waved all 3 toward the elevator, asking Friday to take us up to Tony's lab. We stepped out of the elevator now overlooking the landing pad and the quinjet, the windows now fixed and debris from the attack cleaned and furniture replaced. I turned leading them toward the lab and paused when I reached the stairs, turning to look at James. He noticed the stairs and seemed to deflate, looking like I’d personally crushed all of his dreams and killed his puppy. I wasn’t sure why as I was just going to tip the chair back and drag him up the stairs.

“No, just go, I’ve got him,” Wanda drawled and he seemed to deflate more before her eyes and hands glowed red and his wheelchair levitated off the floor with him in it. I grinned and turned heading quickly up the stairs so Wanda could put him down as fast as possible, Megan right on my heels. At the top we stepped out of the way and James floated up the staircase, wanda following directly behind him.

“Great, this way,” I said when James’ wheels were firmly on the floor again and turned walking down the walkway to Tony’s lab.

“Thanks Wanda,” I heard James say quietly behind me.

“Of course, I mean Rebecca was about to drag you up the stairs, I just figured that was easier for everyone,” Wanda brushed it off kindly and I smiled as the door to the lab slid open and I stepped into the messy space seeing Tony standing over a small object with a pair of tweezers and magnifying glasses on his face as he reached into the paneling of the object with the tweezers and his fingers before sparks went up and he flinched back swearing.

“Tony, if you asked for my help why are you trying to do it yourself right now, it’s not even been five minutes,” I commented as we all stepped into the lab and James began rolling around looking at everything in awe. Tony looked up lifting the magnifying goggles off his face and scowling at me.

“Just trying one more time while I waited,” he shrugged looking at the others that had come with me. “I see you’ve brought a school tour with you, but unfortunately I don’t do those here,” he commented sarcastically.

“Har-har, sorry but it’s Saturday and I’m having family time,” I retorted with an eye roll. “Now what exactly do you need me to do?” I asked walking toward the small object on the workbench and looking at the small opening in the top of the object.

“I got the wiring backward, didn’t notice till I had everything nearly closed up, I can’t get it without zapping myself,” he explained leaning forward onto his elbows on the workbench.

“And what exactly is this supposed to be?” I asked looking at the inside of the object, inspecting the wiring.

“Don’t worry about it,” he shrugged and I gave him an unimpressed frown. He gave me a tight smile and a shrug before explaining exactly what needed to be done and handing me the tools I would need.

“So, you would say you’re a big supporter of Stem right?” I heard Megan ask and glanced up to where she was standing next to Tony with a strange look on her face.

“I mean I am the master of Stem so yes, why?” Tony answered with a flourish and feigned mild curiosity. I rolled my eyes at Tony’s antics but after glancing down at the wires in my fingers checking that I wasn’t going to shock myself I looked back up curious as to where Megan was going with this.

“There’s this awesome program that encourages girls to get into Stem subjects have you heard about it?” She asked him and I heard James messing with DUM.E in the corner.

“You know I think I have heard about it,” Tony nodded with a smirk like he had some sort of secret.

“Well if you think of yourself as the master of Stem don’t you think you should support the organization and help them with their mission?” she asked and he chuckled, “it’s not funny Mr. Stark, it’s a serious question,” she snapped at his chuckle.

“It is funny, since I’m actually one of their largest sources of funding,” he answered, still chuckling gently.

“What?” She asked incredulously, “I think if  _ Tony Stark  _ were a major donor to their organization that would be big news,” she said and I looked back down at what I was doing.

“I give my donations under a pseudonym,” he answered and I could hear his shrug, “I don’t want the attention for this thing that is so important to be just about me,” he added and I moved my finger too much, shocking myself on a wire.

“OW! MOTHER-Fu-” I started shoving my finger tip between my lips to ease the sting. “Wanda can you hold this for me for a moment?” I asked leaning back over the object.

“Of course, what do you need me to hold?” She drawled sauntering up to me and leaning over to look into the opening in the top hatch.

“This one right there, I need you to hold it out of the way while I get this one moved over there,” I gestured with the tweezers.

“Got it,” she nodded leaning forward closer to the device, her hand glowing red and moving the wire out of the way. I leaned forward grabbing one wire between my fingers to hold it out of the way and then the one i needed between the tweezers and weaving it to where it needed to be attached. I struggled for a moment finally getting it connected and looked up with a grin coming nose to nose with Wanda who had also looked up with a grin. My breath caught as I looked into her eyes before it all flooded from my lungs at once. I could feel her breath on my face as well, both of us so close, our noses nearly touching, my heart fluttered and I caught sight of her grinning pink lips before looking back into her eyes seeing the red glow flicker out her eyes looking shocked and confused and then I felt a sharp pain in my hand as her concentration dropped and she dropped the wire which sent a sharp shock up my arm. I hissed in a sharp breath through my teeth at the sting stepping back as the moment was broken.

“Thank you for your help Wanda,” I smiled at her after a moment once the sting had faded.

“Of course, do you need me to hold anything else?” she asked with a small nervous smile.

“No I’ve got it now, I can connect that one that keeps shocking me and get it out of the way.” I answered her with a smile stepping back up to the workbench and catching sight of Tony’s curious look, I tried to ignore him, turning back to the wiring.

“Hey, can you make me working prosthetics?” James asked suddenly.

“What?” Tony asked confused and I rolled my eyes at James, hoping Tony wouldn’t agree to something like this.

“Yeah to replace my legs,” James adds.

“My dad’s arm is a working prosthetic, he heard about it and wanted to know if you would make him legs, I told him no and it’s not something he wants,” I explained and rolled my eyes again still trying to concentrate on the wiring in front of me.

“Is there anything wrong with your limbs that they would need to be amputated?” Tony asks, rubbing his goatee.

“No, it’s my spine, just can't use my legs,” James answers quietly with a shrug.

“Well then I’m not going to make something that they would need to amputate perfectly good limbs for,” Tony shrugged, walking over to a mini fridge and pulling out a carton of berry’s, I gave him a questioning look and he shrugged before holding the carton to me with his eyebrows raised, I scowled and looked down at my hands that were occupied with wires and tweezers and looked back with a look of how would I take one, he shrugged with a exaggerated blink and a grin. “So what happened?” Tony asked leaning back against another workbench.

“What me?” James asked, sounding a bit panicked.

“Yeah, you can’t just ask me to make you robot legs and then not tell me what happened,” Tony retorted incredulously, “so birth defect, accident, degenerative condition,” he listed nonchalantly.

“Um… it was a…. Um a car wreck,” he answered sounding like he had been trying to think of something. I frowned looking up at James and then to Megan who looked just as confused before looking back at James who seemed to be silently telling Megan not to say anything, I would need to ask about it another time, but for now I turned back to my wiring.

The rest of Saturday and all of Sunday passed in a blur, today Steve Tony and I were going to the courthouse to provide them with my D.N.A sample, Nat had come into my room early that morning to make sure I chose an ‘appropriate’ outfit for the courthouse, and after a disagreement about today not being actual proceedings with Steve he conceded and allowed me to wear a pair of jeans ‘as long as they didn’t have any tears’ she had still shoved a gray plaid blazer over my t-shirt. We were all sat in the back of the black SUV, Happy in the driver's seat as he pulled up to the courthouse, and the sea of photographers my heart began to pound. Happy put the car in park and jumped out going to the other side shoving back the journalists and photographers to get to the rear door as security guards exited the courthouse to make a path.

“How did they even know?” I asked quietly before Happy was able to get the door opened.

“Public knowledge,” Tony grumbled as the door opened and he stepped out, Steve sliding over to follow after him, turning around and pulling the seat forward to let me out of the 3rd row. I stepped out and the cameras began flashing and people began shouting.

“Captain Rogers are the allegations true!”

“Miss Barnes, what are the results going to show!” 

“Mr. Stark, Captain Rogers, what are your plans for if the DNA test shows there is no relation and she is lying about her identity!” 

Were just a few of the things I picked up being shouted at us, Steve wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer to him, shielding me from the flashing cameras and shouting voices as we climbed the steps while Happy shielded Tony.

“There will be no statements and no questions at this time!” Tony turned and shouted from the top of the stairs, this only made them shout louder and the cameras flash faster. When he turned back around a man stepped forward from where he had been waiting by a pillar at the top of the steps and reached his hand out shaking Tonys before stepping toward Steve and I.

“Hello, Desmond Tobey with Hogarth, Chao and Benowitz, I’ll be your lawyer,” the man with his gray hair and hooked nose greeted Steve and I, reaching his hand out for Steve to shake before turning toward me as well, I gave him a reluctant handshake as we were ushered into the courthouse by security then instructed that we needed our bags searched and to go through the metal detector. We were rushed through the security protocols before being spat out on the other side in the hallway of the courthouse.

“Now today there isn’t much happening, other than collecting the DNA sample from both parties. Normally it would be a blood sample but given your… special circumstances,” Desmond explained, “Mr. Stark and Captain Rogers requested another method, I have already filed the motions and we have been approved to have a saliva test performed instead. It needs to be done here under supervision so there is no funny business by either party. Do you have any questions for me before we head in?” He finished with a smile.

“What happens when the test proves I am who I say I am and they suddenly decide they want me, will they make me live with them?” I asked, it was the only thing I was worried about with this situation.

“Well we will cross that bridge if they even file for that after we receive the results, but you are only a few months away from turning 18 and you technically have a full time job as well as being enrolled in school for next year already, you could probably be emancipated if you wanted to be, or we could fight for you to remain in Captain Rogers custody,” he answers patiently and I nod at his explanation. “Alright, let's get into the courtroom and get this show on the road,” he encourages waving us down the hall, Tony and Happy following close behind. 

In the courtroom Steve, Mr. Tobey and I sat on the opposite side of my ‘Grandparents’ and their Lawyer while Tony and Happy sat in chairs behind us in what would be the ‘gallery’ if this were an open hearing which is what Mr. Tobey said when I saw the rows of empty chairs. He explained that family court was not open to the public like criminal cases were and I nodded taking a deep breath and trying to ignore the old couple glaring at me while furiously whispering with their lawyer while repeatedly glancing at Tony.

The door opened and a woman in a lab coat with a metal case entered, quickly taking an empty seat in the back of the room, setting the case between her feet on the floor, leg bouncing in either impatience or nerves, I wasn’t sure without looking at her face which I couldn’t see out of the corner of my eye under the guise of looking toward my lawyer. A door at the front of the room opened and a security guard stepped in.

“Rise for the honorable judge Baileys,” the man stated to the room and I frowned when everyone stood but slowly followed watching as a middle aged man with dark hair and a kind face entered from behind the guard and sat at the pedestal in the front of the room. I followed as everyone sat as well watching as the dark haired man looked through the papers in front of him. 

“So this is the case of Campbell Vs. Barnes and Rogers. Today we will be performing a DNA test to compare with Ms Barnes to prove whether she is or is not the Granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs Campbell. Now you two are claiming that your daughter had no children and that Mr. Rogers and the Avengers are using your daughter's death in order to create a fake identity for this young woman,” the man stated reading from the pages in front of him before looking toward the older couple.

“That is correct, your honor,” my grandmother nodded.

“Well, I remember your daughter’s case, and I am very sorry for your loss, I was the D.A.s assistant at the time, and I’m sorry to say Miss Campbell did have a daughter, it was devastating that we didn’t find her or her body, there was a widespread search for days after. Therefore the question is only whether or not Miss Barnes is actually Miss Barnes, not whether your daughter had a daughter,” The judge said and I watched the older couple both open their mouths to argue but the lawyer shushed them before they could.

“Now Miss Barnes, we have made some exceptions for your test, upon the request of Captain Rogers and your lawyer,” Judge Bailey said looking toward me and I nodded, “now you’ve been gone for how long now about 10 years?” He asked.

“Nearly 13 sir,” I answered, pulling the inside of my cheek between my teeth and biting nervously.

“If you don’t mind my asking where you have been?” He asked then.

“My father was a prisoner of Hydra, when they found out he fathered a child when he had escaped their capture for a few months they took me as well,” I explained, taking a deep breath to calm my nerves.

“And your father is?” He asked.

“Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes,” I answered.

“Sergeant Barnes died in action in 1945,” the judge stated, looking between Steve and I.

“Technically so did I, your honor,” Steve interjected quietly.

“So he was… enhanced as well?” Judge Bailey asked.

“That's correct, but by Hydra, not the United States government,” Steve answered.

“Understood, where is he now? Shouldn’t he be here with Miss Barnes today?” Judge Bailey asked then.

“After years of captivity he unwillingly became an assassin for Hydra, he escaped their captivity after the fall of the Triskelion and is currently missing; we are searching for him. I have taken Rebecca into my care until we are able to find him,” Steve answered.

“You are going through the proper channels to become qualified for this correct? I would hate to have to take her from an environment she is getting used to because you don’t have the proper papers,” Judge Bailey stated and my heart dropped hearing this.

“Copies for both myself and Mr. Stark should be in the case file your honor,” Steve answered with a nod.

“Good, in that case, let's get our samples collected so that you can be on your way for the day.” Judge Bailey nodded to the woman in the lab coat who grabbed the metal case from between her feet and stepped forward coming toward us first, setting the case down and pulling out a test tube.

“Now you haven’t had anything to eat or drink in the last 20 minutes correct?” She asked, pulling out a pair of gloves and putting them on her hands.

“Nothing,” I answered with a shake of my head.

“Great, in that case, I need you to fill this tube with saliva,” she said twisting the cap off and handing it to me. I did as she said everyone in the room watching the entire time, once it was full I handed it back to her and she replaced the cap, tucking it securely into the case and pulling out two other tubes before closing the case and crossing to the table on the other side of the room asking her question about food and drink before uncapping the tubes and handing them to the couple. I ignored them, choosing to look at my fingers and pick at my nails under the table. I heard the case be opened before it was quickly shut and latched again.

“I will get these samples back to the lab and the analysis should be done within a few weeks, you will have the results as soon as they are ready your honor,” The tech said with a nod.

“Thank you, well in that case, that is all we have for today court is adjourned, you will be contacted for the next date.” Judge Bailey said standing and exiting through the door in the front of the courtroom, the security guard following closely behind him. The lab tech had already scurried out the backdoor and I stood with Steve and Mr Tobey turning and seeing Tony still sitting stroking his chin, waiting a moment until my ‘grandparents’ and their lawyer left the room, he finally stood and we all walked through the doors together in silence. The heavy wood doors slammed behind us when my ‘grandmother’ stormed up to us.

“So you’re already paying the judge to spread your lies about your little story and make our daughter look like a whore. You’ve got Tony Stark in your pocket paying everyone off to keep your little lie!” she shouted as Happy and Desmond stepped between her and I.

“I suggest you step back before we file for defamation of character and slander as well as a restraining order,” Desmond hissed before looking up at my ‘grandfather’ and their lawyer who were approaching quickly, “I suggest you control your clients counselor or they can find out these results from the bench in shackles and orange jumpsuits,” he stated calmly to the other lawyer.

“Don’t you dare threaten my wife you scumbag,” my ‘grandfather fumed.

“That isn’t a threat Mr. Campbell, that's a promise. Control yourselves and you have nothing to worry about, now step back from me and my clients and we will be on our way, and we will see you at the next court date,” Mr. Tobey hissed and I couldn’t help but smile as the lawyer pulled both of them back away from us. Their lawyer was frantically whispering to them and they seemed to be listening until my ‘grandfather’ caught sight of my smile and tried to lung forward again.

“Wipe that smug smile off your face you little slut,” he growled as his lawyer reached his arm out to stop him and Happy stepped in front of me protectively, I smiled wondering if he forgot that I was enhanced and nothing these 2 did physically would do any real damage.

“I suggest you leave now,” Happy stated sternly, part of me had wondered why he was head of security and Mr. Stark and Miss Potts personal security but now I could see it, he was friendly until he needed to be intimidating. The three of them blinked and stepped back and then Happy was ushering the four of us to the main door where the SUV was still parked on the curb. As we reached the door steve placed his arm around my shoulder and i gave him a small thankful smile as the doors were pushed open and the camera flashes started, he shielded me from the lenses as best he could as courthouse security and Happy helped us fight our way through the crowd and safely into the back seat.

We stood in the elevator of the tower in a tense silence Tony was furiously tapping at his phone screen and I was avoiding even looking at my phone. The elevator dinged and opened on the common room floor and we stepped out when Tony’s phone dinged again.

“Shit,” he swore under his breath, rushing toward the TV and turning it on immediately, switching it to a news channel. On the screen were my ‘grandparents’ talking to a hoard of reporters about the ‘lie’ Steve, Tony and the other avengers created about my life and who my mother was I was beginning to see red as they carried on before Tony’s voice cut through the fog of my rage, “Tobey are you seeing this, get a cease and desist written RIGHT NOW, I don’t care if you’ve already left the courthouse, get someone else from your firm to file it, lord knows I pay you all enough, call their attorney I don’t care what you do, get this to stop now.” He ended the call and scrubbed his hands over his face. I continued to watch chewing on my thumbnail as they carried on on the screen when Steve stepped in front of me, grabbing the TV remote and shutting it off.

“Ok we aren't doing that, go get changed, we’re going to spend the day out,” Steve instructed and I looked at him for an explanation which I didn’t get since he noticed someone behind me, “Wanda you can come too, you might want to wear something comfortable,” Steve said, I turned to see Wanda entering the common area looking between Steve and I.

“Where are we going?” Wanda drawled.

“Coney Island,” Steve answered, and I turned around with a huge grin on my face, which he saw and rolled his eyes, “I am not getting on the cyclone, how do you even know about that,” he questioned.

“Dad told me,” I shrugged, “wasn’t hard to guess who he was talking about,” I grinned, “come on it’s not like you would throw up now, you’re a supersoldier,” I tried to pout, it wasn’t working, Steve looked unimpressed.

“Why would Steve throw up?” Nat asked curiously stepping out of the elevator.

“We’re going to Coney Island and he’s going to ride the Cyclone,” I explained excitedly.

“I’d pay to see that,” Nat shrugged crossing her arms with a smirk.

“I am _ not _ riding the Cyclone,”Steve said, trying to sound stern. It wasn’t working, I simply grinned at him before turning and rushing toward the hall grabbing Wanda’s hand as I passed to get to our rooms. We went our separate ways at my door, she was muttering something about finding shoes that would go with her skirt that she could walk in. I opened my door, stripping off my blazer as I went, letting it shut behind me. I reluctantly looked at my phone, ignoring my notifications and checking the weather for the afternoon, deciding to grab a pair of shorts. I changed quickly, braiding my hair back and grabbing a pair of sunglasses and pulling on a pair of converse and rushing from the room.

The entrance of the tower was swarming with reporters and paparazzi as we passed in the SUV after pulling from the underground parking. Natasha had decided to join us her hair pulled back and a large pair of sunglasses perched on her nose, Wanda had forgone any type of disguise since she was not yet widely recognized and not currently the object of a ‘maternity scandal, Steve’s navy ball cap and aviator sunglasses were sat on the center console as he drove through the streets of New York City. When we finally arrived we found parking and Steve turned off the engine before placing the hat and sunglasses on his head. I pushed my glasses up further covering my eyes fully as we stepped out into the bright late spring sun. Wanda had put on her own sunglasses as well to combat the sunshine and we all headed toward the entrance of the park. We bought our tickets and headed inside. I looked on at the stalls of games and food spotting the Cyclone in the distance as well as other rides and grabbed Wanda's hand as we began to walk through the crowds. There was a surprising amount of people here for a Monday afternoon.

“So how are we going to get Steve on the Cyclone?” I whispered to Wanda.

“Why are you whispering,” she drawled back, also whispering even though she had no clue why.

“So steve doesn’t hear duh,” I whispered as sarcastically as I could.

“Oh, why is he so opposed to riding it?” She asked curiously.

“Cause he and my dad went to Coney Island when they were young, and dad convinced him to get on the Cyclone and then he threw up,” I explained.

“So you want him to ride it again because?” She asked, seeming confused.

“Because that was when he was five foot nothing and 100 pounds soaking wet, with a heart condition and asthma,” I continued.

“Okay?” She questioned.

“And I wanna see if he’ll still do it,” I grinned and she gave me a very confused look.

“The man jumps out of planes without parachutes and crashed a plane into the arctic,” she said slowly.

“So?” I asked and she just stared at me before shaking her head as we approached the entrance for the line to the Cyclone.

“Alright I’ll sit on that bench and see you when you get off,” Steve said gesturing to a bench next to the exit of the ride.

“Come on Uncle Steve you’ve gotta ride it,” I said trying to sound sad and give him my best ‘puppy dog eyes’... he wasn’t impressed.

“I already told you I’m not riding the damn thing,” he said with an exasperated sigh and I’m sure an eye roll under his dark aviators.

“I’m sure it’s much better now, and look, they even have a sign that you shouldn’t ride it if you have a heart condition,” I said pointing at the sign warning pregnant women and people with heart conditions that they should not get on the ride. He was already shaking his head when Nat cut in.

“Steve just get on the damn ride before she has Wanda mind control you through the line,” Nat chastises with a roll of her eyes and Steve's head snaps toward me in shock i’m sure

“Were you seriously going to do that?” He asks, shocked.

“No,” I scoffed, it wasn’t convincing I’m sure but he walks toward the entrance of the line and turns when none of us follow him.

“So we aren’t gonna ride it now?” He asks, gesturing with his arms in question. I looked between Nat and Wanda in confusion, Nat gave me a smirk as Wanda followed Steve into the line for the ride. Nat went to follow behind Wanda and I quickly followed her. We walked through the maze of a line, wrapping around itself, larger sections roped off since it was not busy enough for them to be in use. We finally reached the end of the line and Steve waved Wanda and Nat in front of him, standing beside me in line.

“Were you really going to have Wanda mind control me to get on the ride?” Steve murmured quiet enough that only I would hear him.

“No, I was going to try and convince you and if that didn’t work I was going to pout and whine about it, and if that didn’t work I may have contemplated asking Wanda to mind control you,” I murmured back just as quiet, shrugged and he turned toward me in shock and disappointment.

“What I wanna know if you’ll still throw up or not, honestly we both know you won’t, back then you shouldn’t have even gone anywhere near it with your asthma and heart condition, but seems like they didn’t really care way back when,” I shrug.

“They probably had no idea,” Steve mumbles.

“Is it true they used to treat asthma with cigarettes?” I asked looking toward him.

“Uh, yeah, they did. I couldn’t afford it anyway so I probably ended up helping myself at least with the asthma,” he chuckled lightly shaking his head. We moved forward with the line slowly, Wanda occasionally turning and murmuring something to me, making me smile, pointing to other people in line including one man dressed in a Captain america T-shirt who had no clue the captain himself was within sight.

We were approaching the front of the line finally and I watched as they unloaded and reloaded the carts with people, going through safety checks before being launched away down the tracks. We were finally stepping into the smaller corrals for the car’s we would be sitting in, making sure we were in the same 2 row car Wanda and Nat in front of Steve and I. I began bouncing on the balls of my feet as we waited and finally the next cart rolled into the platform. The bars lifted and let the current passengers exit the coaster before the employees instructed us to get into the carts. As we stepped forward and into the cart one man pointed at Steve.

“Sir you’ll want to take your hat off so you don’t lose it,” he gestured toward his own head and Steve nodded, removing the hat and shoving it in the back pocket of his jeans. I pushed the sunglasses further onto my nose as I sat on the bench seat, Steve sitting next to me, we pulled the bar down as Wanda and Nat did the same before Wanda turned around looking at me with a bright grin. We sat through the check, the person running the ride going down the line and pulling on the lap bars ensuring they were locked and the seatbelt was latched. They returned to the console and pressed a button and we were slowly propelled away from the platform.The track immediately turned as the car continued to move slowly as it straightened out and was pulled up the first hill. The click of the track continued as we were pulled higher up the hill. It reached the top and paused for a moment before launching over the edge.

My insides felt like they were floating as I started laughing I heard Wanda in front of me shout for a moment before it turned into giggles that made my heart flutter, we turned a corner and launched up another hill before falling down to earth again and I heard Wanda let out another short shout as we ducked under another track. I saw Steve trying to hold back a smile out of the corner of my eyes as I laughed and smiled while we raced through the tracks. Wanda let out a loud giggle as we took another sharp turn and I felt my heart flutter at the sound before looking up toward her and seeing her hair whipping toward me in the wind. Her face was turned toward Nat and her cheeks were red, her dark sunglasses covering her eyes. The ride slowed down suddenly coming to a stop outside of the covered platform and I turned looking at Steve with a grin. I could see him roll his eyes behind his sunglasses as we moved forward slowly to the platform. 

We stepped through the exit gate and back into the rest of the small park when I spotted a game and grabbed Wanda’s hand rushing toward it.

“Hey! Where are you-“ I heard Steve calling from behind us.

“Let them have fun, we’ll catch up,” I heard Nat scold him. As we approached the booth, different stuffed animals all different sized hung up around the outside a pyramid of cans set up on a shelf. 

“You guys wanna play?” The man in the booth asked as he threw a ball into the air and caught it.

“How do you play?” I asked looking at the man.

“You get 2 throws and you have to knock all the cans off the shelf,” he answered gesturing with the ball in his hand toward the stack of cans.

“Sure,” I shrugged, handing him the money. I heard Steve approach behind me as I picked up the first ball the attendant had sat down. Wanda stepped back as I wound up and threw with probably more force than necessary hitting between the bottom two rows of cans and watching as they all went flying. I could hear Steve trying not to laugh as the man looked between me and the clear shelf.

“... Um wow, alright take your pick,” the attendant said, still looking at me in disbelief as I stepped back and inspected the stuffed prizes. I looked at the assortment of brightly colored animals, a neon pink frog and bright green bear stood out and in the back of the booth hanging from the ceiling I spotted a little brown bear with a familiar red white and blue outfit.

“Hey, look at that, isn’t it dumb?” I pointed turning toward Steve and pointing out the Captain America bear.

“Huh?” He asked looking toward the bear, “oh,” I could see him rolling his eyes behind his. I heard Nat and Wanda laughing.

“I’ll take the Captain America one,” I said, turning back toward the attendant and gesturing toward it.

“Are you sure? You can get a bigger one. You got it in one throw,” he suggested pointing to the larger prizes hanging on the outside of the booth.

“Oh I’m sure,” I answered with a nod and a grin already thinking of what I was going to do with the bear. The man turned and almost reluctantly pulled the bear from the clip before handing it to me and we all turned and started to walk away. 

“Why would you get that one?” Steve asked as we walked through the park.

“So she can mess with you, I thought that was obvious,” Nat commented. 

“Seriously?” Steve questioned as I spotted another ride, these one swings that spun and tilted in the air.

“Come on I wanna ride those,” I said reaching back and grabbing Wanda’s hand.


End file.
